A colloquial Australian name given to portable defibrillators.

The name came about when Kerry Packer, an Australian media mogul and wealthy man was resuscitated in 1990 in Sydney after suffering a heart attack.

At that time it was quite rare for ambulances in Australia to carry a defibrillator. An ambulance in the area, which was one of the few in the fleet to carry a defibrillator, responded to the call and managed to resuscitate Mr Packer.

After recovering, Mr Packer donated a large sum to the New South Wales Ambulance Service in order to fit all NSW ambulances with a portable defibrillator. Through this generous gesture, countless lives have been saved which would have been lost without this invaluable piece of equipment.

Australian culture | Healthcare in Australia