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Getting to the heart of the matter: Donato installs defibrillator in CBD
March 5, 2024
By Peter Holmes
State MP Phil Donato was on the tools yesterday, installing an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) out the front of his office on Lords Place south.
The Heart of the Nation device, which cost Donato's office around $3,000, can save lives in the event of a person going into cardiac arrest.
Donato held a media gathering outside his office on Tuesday morning to officially declare the AED available for use.
Donato said he became interested in buying an AED for the CBD after meeting former Yellow Wiggle Greg Page at an event in NSW Parliament House.
"He was saved by a defibrillator as a result of him having a heart attack at a venue. We were shown the devices and I saw a need. There are not too many publicly available in and around Orange. Hopefully it will save lives."
The AED, he said, was "pretty self-explanatory" and "simple to use", and that those who need employ it are given audio directions. Donato removed the device from its case and showed how to get the process started.
He said that it could be useful during working hours for local businesses and shoppers, but also into the night as people attended pubs and restaurants.
A person must be unconscious with no pulse for the AED to work.
"It detects if there's a pulse, so you can't accidentally use it on somebody and electrocute [them]. I know there's a bit of misinformation out there, but [the AED] won't work," Donato said.
The AED can be removed from its wall-mounted case and taken to where it's required.
Donato urged people to leave the AED alone unless they needed it.
"It's got a tracking device, so don't steal it."
Page is expected in Orange in coming months to hold an information session with Donato on AEDs.