Philippa Gately hopes nobody ever has to use the defibrillator she helped fund at the BP Termeil Service Station.
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However, it gives her comfort to know that it's there - just in case.
"One day it might save a life," she said.
Her fundraising campaign started in December 2018 after she did a first aid course.
The Termeil resident thought to herself - where is our defibrillator?
Philippa said the only other defibrillator she knew of was at the Bawley Point RFS station, which is not open all the time.
"I thought we should have one," she said.
She approached the BP Termeil management about putting a donation tin on the counter which they were happy to do.
It was slow going at first and the service station staff came up with a novel way to get more donations.
Anyone who came into the station without a shirt on had to make a $1 donation.
Phillipa, two or three full tins later, decided she had to increase the fundraising drive.
A game-change came in July when she started a GoFundMe page.
"Within 24 hours I had more than I got from the tins," she said.
The GoFundMe page, on one day alone, got a total of $750.
Another game-changer came when local community group Treading Lightly offered to support the cause.
Treading Lightly ended up providing half the funds for the defibrillator which is now located at the service station.
Founder and President of Teading lightly Monica Mudge said they were happy to help.
Treading Lightly has now expanded the difib project - see details below.
The group will also help get the service station staff trained so they can use the defibrillator and Philippa would like to thank Treading Lightly for its assistance.
"We would have got there but would have taken longer," Phillipa said about Treading Lightly's support.
She would also like to thank Jean-Claude from BP Termeil, all the service station staff and everyone who made a donation.
"One day a man put a $50 bill in the tin. He said 'a defibrillator saved my life'," Phillipa said.
She hopes words spread around the area about BP Termeil having a defibrillator.
Defibrillator are located at BP Termeil, Tabourie Tuckerbox and Burrill Lake Newsagency and Post Office.
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Meanwhile the Treadling Lightly founder and president, Monica Mudge, said Philippa's project fitted in perfectly with their plans.
"Treading Lightly Incorporated first came about Phiippa's initiative to raise funds for making an AED [Automated External Defibrillator], available at Termeil Service Station through social media," Monica said.
"We had been working on a strategy towards community resilience, particularly for the planning of future disasters after what the region had experienced last summer.
"AED's were something we had considered and so of course we were well prepared to assist Philippa achieve this very important goal, and likewise ensure money raised by Treading Lightly were put towards doing the same for other parts of the Southern Shoalhaven."
Moncia also knows AED's can save lives
"We spent much of last summer amongst many of the local emergency services, including NSW Police and Highway Patrol, Paramedics, NPWS, Rural Fire Service, State Forests and others," she said.
"Many of them were stuck in remote areas, along with many residents, some with very little to no access to emergency services at some points.
"These devices [AEDs] have the real potential to save lives and to know they are there in scenarios like we had experienced last summer is a great comfort to not only residents, but people who frequent these highways on a day to day basis, not just in crisis."
She added training people to use an AED was an important part of the project.
"We are also very excited to announce that we will be funding AED training for up to 10 people at each site who may be crucial in the administration of First Aid Administration should there be an incident," Monica said.
"This has been made possible with the help of Glenn Congram, principal of local first aid training and supply organisation 'JustT Fist Aid'.
"Glenn has been instrumental in helping us to supply and fit the best solutions for AED's on our local highways and we are so grateful for his knowledge and professionalism.
"It's great to know we have a local business we can inject the funds into, especially one that supports the community so passionately."
Monica would also like to thank the people who made donations to Treading Lightly.
"This of course has only been made possible by the generosity of others given to our organisation and we are incredibly grateful for all the donations that we received during the time of the bushfires," she said.
"We were very humbled that so many people trusted our organistation and are very proud to have injected around 70 per cent of those donations, to date, straight back into the local community.
"That includes important immediate relief to residents, post fire recovery, bush regeneration programs, wildlife recovery, RFS equipment, Triple 000 Ball Sponsorship to recognise front line hero's, support for Cultural Burning Practice education, assistance to all of the local schools for recovery programs and the list goes on.
"So far this equates to over $300K in support for community, local businesses and community resilience projects such as this."
Trading Lighlty's role on the community is an ongoing one.
"We still have a long way to go, but with the help of people like Philippa who are passionate about the community, we are well on our way as an organisation to help with important recovery and resilience," Monica said.
"We are very proud to have been able to help get the job done."
