It’s national volunteer week. New Zealand has around 1.2 million volunteers and we’ve selected our favourite! We’re giving Gareth Jenkin a shout-out for his tireless voluntary work keeping AED Locations up-to-date.
Gareth Jenkin — our volunteer of the week!
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
When he’s not working as a resuscitation teacher, Gareth goes to his computer and maps the locations of defibrillators. Every day, he updates the AED Locations app that he founded. He’s been doing this for years. When someone gets a new AED they let Gareth know exactly where it is and he enters it into the app so that it’s automatically updated with the new AED location.
Find out more about Gareth
Gareth was highlighted by TVNZ as a Good Sort
TVNZ Watch a video about Gareth from the TVNZ Good Sorts programme where Gareth explains how crucial getting a defibrillator to a patient is. Gareth’s an expert in how long you’ve got to live. “For every minute the patient doesn’t get defibrillation their chances of survival drops by 5%.”
Gareth is impressed with AEDs that are readily available and highly visible
Stuff Read an article about raising the visibility of AEDs where Gareth explains that AEDs need to have good signage so they can be found. They also need to be in obvious locations. Gareth says New Zealand is still struggling to convince businesses to care less about their decor and display AEDs more clearly.
A defibrillator at New World that’s easy to find
Otago Daily Times Read about getting defibrillators into the database. “There’s no point in people dying when a potential piece of life-saving equipment is 50m away. And that happens regularly. We need to make people aware of where they are.”
Thank you Gareth. You’re a true CHAMPION!
Find out how to order, or use, an automated defibrillator from the folks at St John.
AEDs are totally automated and easy to use
They might look technical but they’re very simple. You don’t need training to use an AED. A voice talks you through the steps and it will stop you if you do something wrong. It won’t deliver a charge if it detects a heart beat.
Find out more about AED Locations
Download the free app onto your iPhone or Android today. You’ll have a map of the nearest ten defibrillators to you. Wherever you are.
This app is one of the few apps approved for download onto NZ Police devices and is often used by emergency services to help locate a defibrillator.
Real Life Rescues
Nelson police used the app to locate an AED and re-started a woman’s heart at the Stoke tennis courts.
After a car crash in North Hamilton, the police used the AED Locations app to find an AED at a nearby supermarket.
Have a go!
Click here to find your nearest AEDs. Right now. Wherever you are!
While you’re at it remember that Gareth entered every single defibrillator’s location from his computer. Voluntarily.
Happy National Volunteer Week!
