Vicsport announces partnership with defibrillator supplier

In a move to provide sports clubs with better access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and improve emergency response plans to help save the lives of participants in their community, Vicsport has announced a partnership with AED Authority Australia.

Each year in Australia, about 33,000 people have a cardiac arrest out of hospital but it is estimated that as few as 5% of these people survive.

With AEDs being portable, easy-to-use devices that delivers a controlled shock to an individual experiencing cardiac arrest (when the heart suddenly stops beating), the partnership aims to reverse this.

Announcing the partnership, AED Authority Managing Director, Paul Klein stated "we’re excited to partner with Vicsport.

“AEDs are valuable protection for athletes in all fields and their communities. Even healthy seemingly, low-risk youth can have underlying heart conditions that are triggered by strenuous activities. Making an AED part of every club’s emergency response plan can save lives.”

Vicsport Chief Executive, Lisa Hasker added "Vicsport is looking forward to working with AED Authority in order to provide safe environments for all sporting clubs in Victoria."

Drawing on years of experience in AED sales and management programs, AED Authority understands that purchasing a defibrillator can be confusing. Through this partnership, they will assist clubs with every aspect of a successful AED program: from site assessment and device selection to monitoring and maintenance in conjunction with special Vicsport member packages.

AED Authority is a privately owned health and safety company aiming to improve Australia's sudden cardiac arrest survival rate. To achieve this, they help customers sort the fact from fiction when considering an AED program and demonstrate how simple it is to save a life using a defibrillator. It is a vital link in the chain of survival, with early use of a defibrillator leading to a 70% survival rate.