Heart Safe Communities Start With You!

"I never thought we’d need it. Until we did." — Sarah Thompson, Office Manager, Brisbane

Last September, we installed a defibrillator in our office after a first aid training session recommended it. Honestly, I thought it was just a precaution — something we’d hopefully never use. Three months later, one of our team members, James — 42, fit, always full of life — collapsed during a Monday morning meeting. At first, we thought he fainted. But he wasn’t breathing, and his skin turned grey. It was cardiac arrest. We called triple zero and started CPR immediately. I ran to grab the AED we’d mounted near reception. The voice instructions guided us through everything. We shocked him once, continued CPR, and by the time paramedics arrived, he had a pulse. They said if we didn’t have that defibrillator, James wouldn’t be here today. Now, every time I see James laughing in the lunchroom, I think about how different things could’ve been. Buying that AED was the best decision we ever made. It didn’t just save a colleague — it saved a friend, a father, a husband. If you're thinking about getting one for your workplace — don’t wait. It’s not just a device. It’s a second chance at life.