Heathcote community brushes up on life-saving skills
December 6, 2023in Community News
Heathcote residents are benefitting from a targeted effort to boost cardiac arrest survival rates, with the town part of the newest group of Heart Safe Communities.
The year-long program is a joint initiative between Ambulance Victoria (AV) and the Heart Foundation, which equips locals with the skills to take life-saving action when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.
Ambulance Victoria’s Elizabeth Norie and Lee Risdale encouraging sign-ups to the GoodSAM app.
Heathcote Ambulance Community Officer Elizabeth Norie said the initiative will help locals feel confident to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
“The minutes between a cardiac arrest occurring and paramedics arriving are an important time for bystanders to act,” she said.
“For every minute that CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent.
“Anyone can save a life in three simple steps: Call (Call Triple Zero 000), Push (Perform CPR) and Shock (use an AED).”
Heathcote locals recently had the opportunity to brush up on their skills, with AV paramedics and volunteers running Call Push Shock sessions at the Heathcote Market.
Ambulance Community Officer Bonnie Leggett teaches Archer Edgecomb how to perform CPR.
The AV stall gave attendees the chance to practice their CPR technique as well as applying and using an AED, and to learn about the GoodSAM app which has saved more than 55 lives since it began in 2018.
GoodSAM is a life-saving smartphone app that connects Victorians in cardiac arrest with members of the community who are willing to start hands-only CPR in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive.
Ambulance Victoria’s stall at the Heathcote Market.
There are currently 29 Heart Safe Communities across the state, with Heathcote one of 12 towns that commenced the program in August.
Heart Foundation Victorian General Manager Chris Enright said the hope is that ultimately, every Victorian community can be ‘Heart Safe’.
“Working with communities helps improve confidence and willingness to take action in an emergency,” she said.
“We know how effective our Heart Safe Community program can be and how important it is for the local community to drive it to embed change at a grassroots level.”
For more on Heart Safe Communities, visit www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/community/community-partnerships/heart-safe-communities/
Ambulance Victoria’s Lee Risdale, Jo Martin and Elizabeth Norie at a Call Push Shock session.