Community Bank Lindfield and St John NSW Bring Life-Saving Defibrillators to Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby local communities
When a sudden cardiac arrest strikes, every second matters. Thanks to a meaningful community partnership between Community Bank Lindfield and St John NSW, 10 (ten) new publicly accessible defibrillators are now in place across the Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby communities in Sydney’s north. Putting life-saving equipment right where people live, work, shop and come together.
A partnership built around community
Community Bank Lindfield partnered with St John NSW to fund and install ten St John G5 Fully Automatic defibrillators (AEDs) in high-traffic and high-risk locations, including local shopping areas and community hubs across the region. The initiative was driven by a simple but powerful goal to make sure that when a cardiac emergency happens, the right equipment is close at hand and that everyday people feel confident enough to use it.
The first installation took place at West Pymble Pharmacy, a trusted local business serving the community for over 60 years. Located on the outside corner of West Pymble Shopping Centre, it’s a spot surrounded by shops, parks and reserves which is exactly the kind of location where a publicly accessible defibrillator can make a real difference.
“It’s great that West Pymble Pharmacy can be a part of such a life-saving initiative,” said Matthew Burton, owner of West Pymble Pharmacy. “Our shop is in a prime spot, making it a great place to support the wider community.”
Why this matters
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest affects more than 26,000 Australians every year. Without intervention, survival rates remain below 10% but when defibrillation is delivered within the first few minutes, that figure can rise to between 50 and 70%. Each minute without help reduces the chance of survival by 7 to 10%.
Despite this, fewer than one in ten Australians feel confident providing first aid in a medical emergency. And while 96% of Australian adults believe AEDs are important in public places, too many communities still don’t have easy access to them.
That’s what makes initiatives like this one so valuable.
Smarter access through GoodSam
Each of the ten newly installed defibrillators has been registered on the GoodSam AED Registry, supported by NSW Ambulance. This means that in an emergency, the nearest device can be quickly located by both bystanders and emergency services – maximising the chance that the AED gets used when it’s needed most.
Designed for anyone to use
The St John G5 is a fully automatic defibrillator designed to be used by anyone with no prior training required. Compact and portable, it features iCPR technology and clear voice prompts that guide users step by step through CPR and defibrillation. It analyses heart rhythm within seconds and provides real-time guidance, so even someone who has never used an AED before can respond with confidence.
Be ready to act
Having a defibrillator nearby is only part of the equation. Knowing how to use one and feeling confident enough to step in can be the difference between life and death.
Whether you want to learn CPR, get trained in first aid, or find out more about placing a defibrillator in your workplace or community space, St John NSW is here to help.