Ambulance Victoria’s Community Hero Awards recognise and thank everyday Victorians who bravely assist someone at the scene of a medical emergency.
This year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the awards. On Wednesday 4 December, we celebrated the incredible stories of five patients, whose outcomes would certainly have been much worse had it not been for the actions of quick thinking bystanders.
2019 award recipients
On 4 December 2019, outstanding acts of bystander bravery over the past year will be celebrated at our special Community Hero Awards event at Metropolis, Southgate, Melbourne.
Watch more stories on our YouTube channel here.
About Community Hero Awards
Every day, members of our community are first at the scene of medical emergencies.
From providing early CPR and defibrillation to a patient in cardiac arrest, to teaching kids about recognising an emergency and how to call Triple Zero (000) – we all have a role to play when faced with a situation where someone needs urgent medical help.
Since the first Community Hero Awards, we have recognised over 250 outstanding members of the community who have truly made a difference to the lives of others.
Through sharing these stories, we also hope to inspire all Victorians to step in and do their best if they are faced with an emergency.
How are heroes nominated?
Whenever our paramedics come across a situation where a bystander has truly made a difference, or where a child or young person has acted above and beyond their years, they can nominate them for a commendation.
Each year, these cases and commendations are reviewed by an internal panel including Operations and Quality and Patient Experience team representatives. A small group of bystanders are selected to receive Community Hero Awards at an official event.