TENNILLE Kete receives a new defibrillator on behalf of Tahāroa community. PHOTOS SUPPLIED
TAHĀROA is saying thank you to the committee that donated a defibrillator to the community following a tragic few months in the village. The new defibrillator donated by St John Te Kūiti Area Committee means first responders no longer have to do a 30-minute round trip to get one from the mine, community member and ex-St John emergency medical technician (EMT) Kale Pompey said. There had been a recent spate of fatal medical events in Tahāroa, which made the donation even more poignant. An informal first responders’ group made up of Tahāroa residents with medical backgrounds was set up about three months ago after an incident where a family member was suffering a medical event. “We found out family members went down to the mine site to get a defibrillator. It took them 30 minutes to get there and back and in that time she had passed away.” The group’s main purpose is to manage the scene until additional help arrives from town, keeping up communication with the arriving crew so they know what they’re entering into. That emergency help can sometimes be a long time coming. Just recently, it took an ambulance from Huntly eight hours to reach the scene of a fatal bike crash in Tahāroa, Kale said. There used to be a defibrillator in the village, Kale said, but at another medical emergency it was pulled out and did not work immediately. “We just chucked it on the ground like MacGyver and it kind of came to life,” he said. “It hadn’t been serviced or looked after in many years.” He said it was resident Tennille Kete, who is employed by St John, who contacted the area committee for help. “We decided to do something about it and asked our friends in town to give us a hand. They jumped on board.” Kale expected having the new defibrillator would be life-saving. “Having one conveniently in our village, especially when you don’t have a lot of time, could be the make or break in terms of saving a life.” Soon after the defibrillator was donated, the community received a lesson on how to administer CPR and use the device. “We really are grateful for the help from the area committee,” Kale said. Tahāroa has a long history of selfless service from community members and there used to be a first response group that now does not exist. “Over the years, they got older, the group waned and also with the improvement of the availability of the helicopters and technology in terms of emergency response, it meant we thought we didn’t need it.” Kale acknowledges there are limits to helicopters. “If someone had a heart attack on a windy, rainy day we’re not getting a helicopter in and the nearest ambulance is Te Kūiti if they’re available.” Tahāroa is on an isolated part of the coast, almost an hour from Kāwhia and more than that from Te Kūiti and Ōtorohanga. From making do with what they have, to now asking for outside help, Kale said the group was beginning to look at what options could be available for ongoing support.
