Six Palmerston North Lions clubs donate a defibrillator to Central Energy Trust Arena

Basketball Manawatū general manager Mike Ryan (from left), Palmy Venues facilities manager Charles Foulds, project co-ordinator Phil Theobald and Lions Zone 2 chairman Graham Robinson with the defibrillator at Arena 4.

A defibrillator that can be accessed around the clock is now available at Central Energy Trust Arena.

Six Palmerston North Lions clubs worked with Basketball Manawatū and the Palmerston North City Council to get the defibrillator installed.

It is available to everyone using Arena 3 or 4 as well as the grounds behind those buildings.

In August 2022, a Lions club received a request from Basketball Manawatū general manager Mike Ryan.

A person at Arena 4 had gone into cardiac arrest after being hit in the throat by a basketball. The nearest defibrillator was locked away under the arena’s main grandstand.

Fortunately, there was an advanced paramedic nearby who was able to resuscitate the patient before the defibrillator could be accessed.

Ryan asked if the club could purchase an automatic external defibrillator for Arena 4.

The club sought support from other Lions clubs which agreed to share the cost of a defibrillator. The council purchased a box so the device could be securely mounted outside the entrance to Arena 4.

This makes the defibrillator available to anyone who needs it at any time - even when Arena 4 is locked.

The device analyses the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electric shock, known as defibrillation, to help restore the heart’s natural rhythm.