Lake Rotoiti gets new heart-warming AED
Lake Rotoiti now has not just one, but two AEDs at the fire station after a new unit was installed three weeks ago.
Rotoiti District Community Council secretary Brent Higgins said the new AED was offered to them for free by the Wakefield Health Trust.
Unlike the defibrillator that was already at the station, the new one is mounted outside so that it is accessible 24/7.
Higgins said the AED’s storage cabinet was custom-built with a smash-glass key entry and an alarm that was activated when the box was opened.
It also had its own heating element to keep the defibrillator going during Lake Rotoiti’s severe frosts.
Higgins said the box cost $1000, whereas a normal smash-glass box had a price tag of about $300.
Tasman District Council chipped in for half of the cost.
He said he hoped vandalism wouldn’t be an issue with the AED being placed outside.
Nelson Hospital cardiology registrar Thalib Mowjood said the AED setup by the Rotoiti District Community Council ‘‘sounds exactly what we would recommend to maximise accessibility’’. He said all AEDs should be ‘‘just as accessible’’.
‘‘Their efforts are highly commendable and there is a good chance that they will save a life in the coming years. The potential to save a life very much justifies a cost of $1000.’’