A new program will see paramedics and other emergency services personnel join forces to assist people in the event of cardiac arrests.
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The NSW State Emergency Service and NSW Volunteer Rescue Association have joined NSW Ambulance's public access defibrillation program.
In Griffith it means SES volunteers will be dispatched to help if they are closer than paramedics.
"In a cardiac arrest, every second counts so the sooner emergency personnel can administer CPR and get a defibrillator on the patient, the better," NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
"There are over 4000 automated defibrillators with our other emergency services so while an ambulance is enroute, if another responder can help, they can be dispatched.
"Partnering with other emergency services who might be just around the corner to the patient makes sense, and takes advantage of their defibrillators and first-aid training."
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Griffith's SES volunteers spent some time training with paramedics so the two teams can work effectively together.
In the event of an emergency, SES volunteers would arrive first with paramedics arriving afterwards.
NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan said other Australian states and countries had used similar public access programs to help people when needed.
"Overseas results show defibrillation occurring up to two minutes before paramedics have arrived has boosted the chance of survival by up to 20 per cent," Dr Morgan said.
"About 8,000 people in NSW suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital each year and most of these patients do not survive, so if this program saves one life, it is a success.
"We know other jurisdictions that have high survival rates from out of hospital cardiac arrest have PAD programs, where paramedics and emergency services work in unison."
