Page 523 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 23 March 2022
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this project, St John partnered with host organisations to install AEDs in their facilities.
A 2008 evaluation of the demonstration project found that “the appropriate and effective installation of AEDs can save lives”. Of course, we have continued to recognise that in the amendment that I have moved to Ms Castley’s motion. But it also found that “most untrained staff reported they were likely to wait for a trained first responder or emergency medical services rather than activate an AED without prior training”.
More recently, a 2017 Rapid Literature Review on Public Access to Defibrillation commissioned by the New South Wales government explored the complexity of designing an effective public access defibrillation program. This review indicated that there was benefit in taking a strategic view on the placement of AEDs, with their usefulness being related to the likelihood of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occurring, the emergency services response times for that location, and the likelihood of a bystander being available and actually able to use an AED.
It is important to take a holistic view of the training, education and equipment that form part of workplace responses to emergencies. The government acknowledges, again, that AEDs can play a role in improving this response. With this in mind, we will continue to work across a number of portfolios—notably, as identified by Ms Castley, education and transport—to increase the availability of AEDs.
First aid training is provided to ACT government employees as required, under workplace health and safety requirements. This includes all Transport Canberra transport officers holding first aid certificates. As the amendment notes, there are currently defibrillators located in all 14 light rail vehicles. Transport Canberra has a fleet of five field response vans which are based at each interchange across Canberra and are able to be deployed to respond rapidly to any emerging issues on bus services, anywhere in the city. Each of these vehicles is fitted with defibrillator equipment, and all Transport Canberra transport officers staffing these vans hold first aid certificates. All Transport Canberra buses have radio communication to the Transport Canberra control room, which enables a rapid response by emergency services and the incident response vehicles as required.
As Ms Castley noted, and as the amendment notes, AEDs are located in many public schools, and all ACT public schools have trained first aid officers who can manage situations as they arise. ACT public schools are able to assess their own risk profile in accordance with the first aid code of practice and through consultation processes established under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. Schools are supported by the ACT government in their autonomy by budget allocations with which they can make purchases such as AEDs in accordance with procurement governance arrangements.
I also take this opportunity to note the circumstances in the ACT. While acknowledging everything that Ms Castley has said, and the availability of defibrillators in a range of settings, the ACT is in the fortunate position of having excellent emergency services response times. Of course, we can have that confidence
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