THERE are eight defibrillators in the community thanks to the Student Heart Project and it won’t stop there.

The Charles Sturt University student-led group is looking to part fundraise with community groups to place two more defibrillators in the area.

It is also working with key members of the Wauchope community to install the first publicly accessible defibrillator in the Wauchope town centre.

September 8 will mark this year’s Red and Blue Ball to raise money for more lifesaving defibrillators.

The Student Heart Project connects students and the broader community, and raises money for defibrillators throughout the community. 

The Student Heart Project’s Daniel Steinbeck said coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest kills more Australians every year than anything else.

“Now, if someone was to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest, without access to a defibrillator, they have around a six per cent chance of survival,” he said.

“With a defibrillator, if applied within the first few minutes, [it] increases their rate of survival to around 70 per cent.

“There's a window of around seven minutes before their chances of survival diminish and irreversible damage to the brain and body begins to occur.”

Mr Steinbeck said having defibrillators not only available to the public but available everywhere is so crucial.

He praised the community support of the project.

The Student Heart Project has hosted two Red and Blue Balls, raised more than $25,000, hosted several smaller fundraising events and training sessions and placed eight units within the community.

Mr Steinbeck said none of that could have been accomplished without the support and donations of the community.

Defibrillator locations include Horton Street next to the taxi rank, Your Life Gym, the Men's Shed, U3A, Rotary Lodge, Lake Cathie Public School, Players Theatre, Lord Howe Island and Hastings Secondary College.