ACT Ambulance deploys 'ultracompact' defibrillators

The ACT Ambulance Service is deploying CellAED technology to enable remote access paramedics to carry life-saving defibrillators to inaccessible locations.

Weighing 450 g, the Australian made and owned defibrillator is an ultracompact device small enough for first responders to carry in their first aid kit for quick accessibility in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.

The ACT Ambulance Service has purchased 12 ultraportable CellAED defibrillators as a part of the state government’s investment into specialist capabilities.

Canberra Intensive Care Paramedic and Remote Access Paramedic Project Manager Joel Powell said, “It all comes down to weight — we need to reduce what the paramedics carry around because often their vehicles need to be left behind when traversing remote and dense bushland,” Powell said.

“CellAED is the perfect weight and size — it helps our remote access paramedics be better equipped for any situation and ensures they have a broad spectrum of fit-for-purpose tools to save lives.”

Approximately 30,000 Australians experience a sudden cardiac arrest each year, and of those, less than 5% survive. For each minute CPR and defibrillation are delayed, the chances of survival decrease by 10%. Using a defibrillator within the first minute of sudden cardiac arrest can potentially bring the chance of survival rate up to 70%.

“Our ultraportable technology means remote area first responders no longer need to leave defibrillators behind due to their size or weight when heading into remote areas on foot,” said Mark Hillebrand, Chief Marketing Officer at CellAED.

Other areas of the ACT Government, including the ACT State Emergency Service and the Australian Federal Police, are adopting this life-saving technology. But this technology is not restricted to emergency services. “I live in a street where my neighbours are elderly, so I have purchased a device myself. In the time it takes an ambulance to arrive, CPR can be underway including the use of a defibrillator, giving a patient the best chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest,” said Chris Bowyer, Senior Director Transformation and Capability at the ACT Ambulance Service.