10 Oct 2017 The Free Press, Kilmore, VIC (General News) SEYMOUR Field and Games will take their sport to the next level when it comes to dealing with an emergency thanks to a new a defibrillator and training package. Making the announcement recently, Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the group would receive the package from the third round of the new Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program. The program is part of a state government initiative to roll out 1000 life-saving defibrillators to clubs and facilities in Victoria. The roll out has been a huge success delivering almost 900 defibrillators to clubs. Defibrillators at local sports clubs like Seymour Field and Game keep players safe, spectators protected, and are a vital tool for the community, Ms Symes said. In a life threatening sudden cardiac arrest every second counts, and bystanders play a critical role. As the local Member of Parliament Im proud of our local sports clubs like Seymour for their efforts to make their environment more safe and enjoyable for all. Without a defibrillator close by, the survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest is somewhere between two and five per cent. When a defibrillator is used within the first few minutes, the rate of survival can rise to 70 per cent. The great news is that more bystanders than ever are stepping in to save lives. The use of public defibrillators for cardiac arrests has soared four-fold from 2.8 per cent in 2006/07 to 11 per cent in 2015/16. The new devices will appear on Ambulance Victorias database, so that triple zero operators will be able to direct callers to the new devices available when emergency strikes. For more information about the Defibrillators for Sporting Clubs and Facilities Program or how to apply online for future rounds, visit www.sport.vic.gov.au. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.