DEFIBRILLATORS are as essential as bats, balls and boots for sporting clubs and organisations, says a Hunter father whose son died from an undiagnosed heart condition.
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Joshua Caruso was on his way to school in 2013 when his heart stopped suddenly. He died almost instantly at the age of 13.
His parents, Joe and Belinda Caruso, started the Joshua Caruso Foundation in the years after to raise awareness of the heart condition that took their son and to fund defibrillators for Hunter schools and sporting clubs.
The foundation has so far delivered about 70 of the life-saving devices.
Mr Caruso said incidents such as the heart attack of former Newcastle Knight Tony Butterfield helped raise awareness of the importance of defibrillators.
But he believed there were still too many clubs, organisations and venues without defibrillators.
"It's one of those things, until you need it nobody really thinks about it," Mr Caruso said on Friday.
"Through our work we hear of stories, but I think you're more likely to hear a story about [when] there wasn't one available, like the Tony Butterfield incident. We hear about that more than the success, unfortunately."
Mr Caruso watched the charity match Butterfield was involved in at No. 2 Sportsground last Saturday but left unaware he had suffered a heart attack following the game.
While the incident has raised questions about who should purchase and maintain defibs at local sports grounds, Mr Caruso believes the focus should be on why so many organisations wait until after a major incident has occurred to ensure the life-saving piece of medical equipment is available.
"Part of CPR training now incorporates defibs and people are looking at getting them because they realise the success rate for CPR is much greater with the use of a defib," he said.
"There's a lot of heart foundations out there, like ourselves, that are pushing it.
"They're essential; if you look at the statistics, without a defib less than five per cent survive. But if there's early intervention with a defib, it's a 70 per cent increase in survival. Just those stats alone make it an essential part of every sporting club where people are exercising or running around. It could happen to anybody."
It's better to have it and not use it, rather than need it and not have it.
- Josh Caruso Foundation director Joe Caruso
But while progress has been made in making the community more aware of defibs, Mr Caruso said there was still work to be done to ensure they become widely acknowledged and owned.
"I think it is slowly growing, the awareness, but there's still a long way to go," he said. "Since we've been going, we're at around 70 defibs into schools and sporting clubs.
"We've been contacted by different clubs, and I've had a call from the Newcastle Rugby League in relation to them getting some as well to take to events in case anything like that happens again. It's brought their attention to it, which makes it easier."
Port Stephens Council, which was last year prompted by the heart attack of a cricket player mid-game at Lakeside Sports Complex in Raymond Terrarce, said it had funded or part-funded 12 defibs for local sports facilities in association with its sports councils.
"Defibrillators are located permanently on-site in shared areas for all sporting users to access," a council spokesperson said. "Sporting clubs on the Tomaree and Tilligerry Peninsulas have automatic defibrillators which are brought on-site by the clubs. Council will continue to work with clubs and sports councils to install defibrillators as required."
Maitland council said its recently rebuilt No. 1 Sportsground, which is a similar size to Newcastle's No. 2 Sportsground, had a defib.
"Council provides a defibrillator at Maitland No. 1 Sportsground and has also supported approximately six local clubs to purchase defibrillators through grant programs for their clubs," major venues and facilities manager Phil Moore said. "The clubs take ownership and responsibility of these.
"Council will purchase another defibrillator for the Maitland Regional Athletics Complex when it is complete."
Lake Macquarie council does not supply supply defibrillators to any of its sports grounds.
"However if user groups want to purchase defibrillators and provide ongoing servicing, council will work with the groups to ensure they are properly fitted within the facility," a council spokesperson said.
"Council will also notify user groups, facility managers and lessees, along with a list of approved service providers, whenever a defibrillator grant opportunity is made available through various government agencies."
City of Newcastle council, which on Friday said it had not "assured" officials associated with last weekend's charity match there was a defib at No. 2 Sportsground but rather said it "believed" there was a defib within the associated rugby club's first-aid room, does not supply defibs at council sports facilities.
It said the devices were kept at "beaches and inland pools, where professionally trained lifeguards provide first aid services".
"Sporting clubs and organisations bear liability and all responsibility for their activities as the hirers or licensees of city-owned facilities, including the provision of first aid," a spokesman said.
"We have formally reminded them that defibrillator grants are available through the NSW government. City of Newcastle manages open spaces that equate to around 1,200 full-sized football fields in area. This includes 250 parks and 124 sporting fields that are largely unattended during the week."
The NSW government's grants program to assist clubs, associations and councils in purchasing defibs began in 2017. It offers Hunter applicants 50 per cent - $1250 - of their cost.
"The NSW government has committed to provide $985,000 to sport and recreation facilities to assist with the purchase of 780 defibrillators," a NSW Office of Sport spokesperson said.
"Applications for Round 3 of the Local Sport Defibrillator Program opened 3 December, 2018 and will close 6 May, 2019. Half a million dollars in grant funding is available with clubs receiving 50 per cent towards the funding and maintenance of a defibrillator."
Mr Caruso encouraged sports groups to apply for a grant to obtain a defibrillator.
"It's better to have it and not use it, rather than need it and not have it," he said.
"If it's there and everybody knows its there at least if its needed it can be used.
"If it's an after thought, it's no good to us."
