More Gold Coast sporting clubs and community organisations will soon be equipped with life-saving defibrillators thanks to a new City funding initiative worth more than $90,000.
A total of 42 organisations across the Gold Coast have received grants of up to $2,400 each to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), helping improve emergency response capabilities in local venues and public spaces.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the devices could make a critical difference during cardiac emergencies, drawing on his own family’s experience after his wife suffered a cardiac arrest in 2017.
“Having immediate access to a defibrillator can increase the likelihood of survival,” he said.
The funding forms part of the City’s 2028 Community Safety Program and builds on previous initiatives following the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where more than 100 AEDs were donated to local groups.
Successful recipients include sporting clubs, surf lifesaving organisations, schools, community gardens and charities across the region. All devices will be registered with the Queensland Ambulance Service so emergency responders can quickly locate them when needed.
The City also continues to partner with Queensland Ambulance Service to provide free community CPR awareness sessions.
Image source: goldcoast.qld.gov.au