On Friday, the 23^rd of May, our colleague, Marj Devereux, Community Development and Engagement Officer, represented St John Ambulance Victoria at the prestigious 2025 Spark of Life Conference, presenting groundbreaking findings from our Defib In Your Street Program in collaboration with La Trobe University.

The Spark of Life Conference is Australia’s leading forum for cardiac arrest research and response innovation, bringing together clinicians, paramedics, academics, and community advocates to explore how we can collectively save more lives from sudden cardiac arrest.

St John’s presentation focused on the real-world outcomes of our Defib In Your Street initiative, a community-based program that places Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in high-risk residential areas and delivers localised CPR and defibrillator awareness training.

In 2024 alone the program trained 5,722 community members in CPR, and installed 42 defibrillators across Reservoir, St Albans and Sunshine. The results speak for themselves: communities with increased defibrillator access have seen measurable improvements in cardiac arrest survival rates.

"Cardiac arrests, don't just occur during business hours, nor in shopping centres, gyms or footy fields. Having defibrillators that are accessible 24/7 in our community is essential to improving cardiac arrest survival rates," says Marj.

A person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest drops by 10% for every minute a defibrillator isn’t used.

Experts agree that having a defibrillator close by can save lives, yet in most parts of Australia, including Victoria, it is not a legal requirement in public places.

Only South Australia currently mandates defibrillators in public venues. In Victoria, businesses must have one only if the risk of cardiac arrest is likely and it is considered a practical safety measure under WorkSafe guidelines.

St John Ambulance Victoria CEO Gordon Botwright says the latest data shows how many lives could be saved with better access to defibrillators.

According to the latest 2023–24 Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) Annual Report, 141 people in Victoria received a shock from a public defibrillator, the highest number ever recorded, and nearly half of them (47%) survived. But that’s just a small part of the bigger picture.

That same year, more than 7,500 people suffered a cardiac arrest outside of hospital in Victoria, with an overall survival rate of just 6%.

“If everyone had access to a defibrillator when they needed it, over 3,000 more Victorians could have survived,” says Gordon. “This isn’t just a number; it’s thousands of parents, friends, and colleagues whose lives could have been saved.”

On that note, Gordon is calling on the government to make defibrillators mandatory in public and commercial buildings across the state.

“It’s time to treat defibrillators like fire extinguishers, essential, life-saving tools that every workplace and public space must have. We urge the government to lead this change. Too many lives are being lost simply because help isn’t close enough.”

St John and La Trobe University’s important research contributes to the growing national conversation on the critical role of early defibrillation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. It also highlights the power of data-driven community engagement and targeted public health interventions.

Beyond defibrillator accessibility, the conference explored key themes such as CPR education, first responder readiness, and the long-term care of survivors. Presenters shared emerging best practices including tailoring first aid education to meet diverse community needs, leveraging digital tools to enhance learning, and supporting families after a cardiac event.

St John’s involvement in this event reflects our broader mission: to build stronger, safer, and more prepared communities through training, advocacy, and action. By participating in national conversations and contributing to evidence-based research, we remain at the forefront of emergency response innovation, ensuring more Australians have the best chance of survival when it matters most.

Source: Victoria’s world-class cardiac arrest survival | ambulance.vic.gov.au