Brad Tite is a lucky man. He suffered a heart attack and collapsed on the train. CPR from fellow passengers and the use of a defibrillator by a trained QLD Rail employee saved his life, an incident that underscores the need to have trained personnel and life-saving medical equipment available at key stations like the Northgate station.
Mr Tite was given CPR by dellow passengers for 10 minutes, before Assistant Station Master Charlie Leslie Roberts stepped in with a trained employee to use the defibrillator.
“It was a team effort and our first aid training paid off as we did everything we could to help Mr Tite,” Mr Roberts said.
Through the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS), Mr Tite was brought to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where he underwent triple bypass surgery. His doctors said that the prompt action, CPR, and defibrillator saved Mr Tite’s life. His doctors were also able to download data from the defibrillator, which they needed for his surgery.
“It just goes to show how important it is to be trained in CPR and for defibrillators to be readily available in public places, Mr Tite said. “You never think it’s going to happen to you, you think you’re indestructible, but you’re not. I now want to learn how to do CPR so I can use my experience to help other people.”
There are twelve busy Queensland Rail stations equipped with defibrillators. These are Central, Fortitude Valley, Bowen Hills, Roma Street, South Brisbane, South Bank, Eagle Junction, Park Road, Northgate, Petrie, Darra, and Beenleigh. The defibrillators are found in long-distance passenger service areas and assigned to trained onboard customer service employees.
“We know seconds count in a cardiac arrest, which is why Queensland Rail had invested in installing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at various stations on the rail network,” Queensland Rail General Manager Station Customer Service Ron Degraaf said.
“This situation is a prime example of their life-saving capability. It’s incredible that Mr Tite is here with us today and I’m extremely thankful for the actions of our customers and employees for the role they played.”