StreetBeat - AEDs at the heart of your community
SERVICE ONE Mutual Ltd is proud to announce the launch of ‘StreetBeat’, a life-saving initiative aimed at making Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) publicly available 24/7 across the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
‘We believe every street in Australia should have an AED, as without one the chance of survival from cardiac arrest drops dramatically after 5 minutes,’ said Ivan Slavich, CEO of the Mutual. ‘We’re going to start with one in every suburb and build from there. The Mutual exists to enhance the lives of the communities in which we operate. StreetBeat is a great example of how we make a positive difference, using local money for local people’.
Under the StreetBeat initiative, local communities are invited to raise $2,500 to install an AED in their suburb. The Mutual will cover the cost and installation of a bespoke, weatherproof cabinet to house the AEDs, sourced through their partner organisation, St John Ambulance.
‘To help fundraising efforts, we’ve created an easy-to-use online platform where community members can create accounts, nominate the suburb they wish to raise funds for, share their sponsorship pages with family and friends, and track their fundraising progress’, explained Ivan.
‘To kick-start the campaign, we’re challenging fundraisers to complete at least 10 minutes of physical activity each day throughout November and record their efforts on the website. In the first week of the campaign, any contributions of up to $100 will be dollar matched by Community Bank Canberra and Regions (Bendigo Bank) up to the value of $10,000 helping them quickly reach their $2500 target’.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in Australia, with timely access to AEDs being crucial for survival. Whilst many AEDs have been installed in workplaces, many cardiac arrests occur outside working hours when access to AEDs is limited. By making AEDs available 24/7, StreetBeat aims to bridge this gap and save lives.
To learn more about this exciting initiative, visit the website www.streetbeat.life which will go live soon.