WOOLWORTHS in Ararat and Stawell, and the Aradale Golf Club have joined a slew of other locations and installed publicly accessible automated external defibrillators in their facilities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The defibrillators were installed in the supermarkets on June 8 and formed part of a store-wide roll-out.
The defibrillators have step-by-step voice guidance for anyone who finds themselves needing to use one for the first time.
Ararat store manager Cameron Brown said he was pleased to have a defibrillator in the store which "everyone can have access to."
Over at the Aradale Golf Club captain Marcus Matthews said the Ararat RSL Sub-branch donated a defibrillator to them after he approached them.
"With our aging memberships our golf club would benefit from a defibrillator, and obviously also the surrounding community," he said.
"So I approached the RSL to see if they would be keen in donating it and they were extremely keen.
"So I contacted a mate of mine (who owns a business called Wilderness First Aid) and (the RSL) purchased it through him."
Mr Matthews said the club's members had all been trained up in its use.
"It's all ready to go."
Ararat RSL Sub-branch general manager Maria Whitford, speaking on behalf of the management committee, said defibrillators were an important investment in the community.
"We've donated 11 defibrillators since 2012 to community groups and we think it's an important investment," she said.
"The Ararat RSL is proud to be involved in such a life-saving initiative, though we hope a club never has to use one."
Facilities with defibrillators can register them with a website called Register My AED.
Ararat now has defibrillators registered on the site at the senior citizens club, the Ararat RSL Sub-branch, Chalambar Golf Club, Grampians Community Health, Ararat Dental and two at the Ararat Leisure Centre.
In Stawell, there are registered defibrillators placed at the Stawell Sports and Aquatic Centre and Stawell Neighbourhood House.
There are also some which aren't registered on the site located at The Gift Hotel and the Stawell Fire Brigade.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from the Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from Ararat and districts, sign up here.
