Ambulance Victoria (AV) is encouraging Sunbury residents to learn or refresh their cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and sign up to be a GoodSAM responder.
A cardiac arrest occurs when a person’s heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively around the body.
This October marks the sixth year of AV’s state-wide Shocktober campaign, which is dedicated to improving cardiac arrest survival rates.
Ambulance Victoria acting director of regional and clinical operations James Tehan encouraged locals to learn CPR, how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and know where their closest defibrillator is located.
“Shocktober is about giving Victorians who have a cardiac arrest a better chance of returning to their loved ones,” he said.
“CPR and defibrillation are critical. Every day, around 21 Victorians suffer the medical emergency but only one in 10 survive. For every minute CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.
“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere, at any age, health or fitness level, and often without symptoms.
“Our message is simple – you don’t need to be a paramedic to save a life, just remember to Call (Triple 000), Push (Perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).”
Mr Tehan also encouraged locals to sign up to be a GoodSAM responder.
GoodSAM is a mobile app that connects patients in cardiac arrest with a nearby volunteer who is willing to start hands-only CPR while paramedics are on their way. There are currently more than 17,300 GoodSAM responders across Victoria, with more always needed.
Last year, AV paramedics and first responders were called to 7,545 cardiac arrest patients.
Victoria has the best cardiac survival rates in Australia and the third best anywhere in the world.
AV will run a Call, Push, Shock session at the Sunbury Show on Saturday, October 11 during Shocktober and locals are encouraged to join.
For information about Shocktober, the GoodSAM app and how to learn CPR and use an AED (defib), visit ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober
