LEETON'S residents can take comfort if they or someone they know suffers a cardiac arrest emergency that help is close by.
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The Leeton Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA) has teamed up with NSW Ambulance Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program, which utilises other agencies and their equipment to get help to patients fast.
Given Leeton's VRA volunteers were already trained in the use of automated external defibrillators (AED), helping out the ambulance service made sense.
It means if paramedics in town are already on another job and a call comes in of a patient having a cardiac arrest, the Leeton VRA can quickly be on hand to assist in the situation.
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Leeton VRA president Paul Smith said members had always been trained in first aid and what to do in a cardiac arrest situation.
"We carry AEDs in our vehicles ... there was a need identified (across the state) that sometimes an ambulance is busy and unable to get to every job because they are flat out, so this program was developed," he said.
"It makes sense. In terms of resources we're in town, we're trained and in the cases of cardiac arrest, hands on chest and the use of an AED is very important in saving someone's life.
"The sooner you can do that, the better the chance of survival. We're not taking the place of paramedics, it's about helping out where we can with our resources and our skills."
The State Emergency Service and the NSW VRA are the first two emergency agencies to join the NSW Ambulance-run program in the state.
Consultation is also underway with other emergency agencies, including Fire and Rescue NSW, the Rural Fire Service and Marine Rescue NSW.
NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said similar PAD programs have been successful overseas and in other states and territories in boosting survival rates.
"Overseas results show defibrillation occurring up to two minutes before paramedics have arrived has boosted the chance of survival by up to 20 per cent," Dr Morgan said.