This Restart a Heart Day, Ambulance Victoria (AV) and the Heart Foundation are celebrating the Metropolitan region’s graduating Heart Safe Communities and unveiling the towns taking on the life-saving challenge over the next 12 months.
The Heart Safe Community program aims to improve survival rates for cardiac arrest, by working with communities to raise awareness, teach residents how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED), promote GoodSAM and install new publicly accessible AEDs.
GoodSAM is a life-saving smartphone app that connects Victorians in cardiac arrest with members of the community who are willing to start CPR in the critical minutes before paramedics arrive.
Bulla and Monbulk are now better equipped to save lives after undertaking the Heart Safe Communities initiative in 2023-24.
In Bulla, AV paramedics trained 225 community members, installed three new AEDs, two of which are publicly available 24-hours a day, and signed up two new active GoodSAM responders.
Meanwhile in Monbulk, 470 community members received trained, installed four new 24-hours a day AED that’s publicly accessible to all, and signed up six new active GoodSAM responders.
AV regional director metropolitan Vanessa Gorman congratulated everyone involved in raising awareness across Bulla and Monbulk over the last year, and announced Kingsville and Lang Lang will be taking on the program for 2024-25.
“Minutes matter in a cardiac arrest and I’m so pleased these communities are now in a better position to save more lives, understanding the importance of bystander intervention and calling Triple Zero (000) immediately,” she said.
“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere and at any time.
“We’re eager to work with Kingsville and Lang Lang residents to empower them to take action in someone’s time of need.”
The Heart Safe Community program was launched in 2019 and is a joint initiative between AV and the Heart Foundation.
This month, AV is promoting Shocktober, which is a month-long campaign to highlight the importance of learning CPR and how to use an AED.
Every day, around 21 Victorians have a cardiac arrest and only one in 10 survive.
Bystander CPR and use of an AED more than doubles a patient’s chance of survival.
“The minutes between a cardiac arrest occurring and paramedics arriving are an important time for bystanders to act,” Vanessa said.
“Anyone can save a life – just call Triple Zero (000), push hard and fast on the middle of the chest, and shock using an AED.”
Heart Foundation Victoria general manager Chris Enright said the Heart Safe Community initiative is vital to help improve the confidence and willingness of bystanders to take life-saving action.
“The partnership between the Heart Foundation and AV continues to champion Victorian communities by equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to help save a life in the event of a cardiac arrest,” she said.
“We know that unfortunately, the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is low, but when a bystander gives CPR and uses an AED within the first few minutes, a person’s chance of survival significantly improves.
“Expanding the Heart Safe Community program across Victorian towns will have a tangible impact on heart health at a local level and can ultimately save lives.”
Restart a Heart Day, held annually on 16 October, is a global initiative to encourage people to learn CPR and how to use an AED.
To learn more about Heart Safe Communities, visit www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/community/community-partnerships/heart-safe-communities, and for more information about Shocktober visit www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober.
Consider signing up as a GoodSAM responder by visiting www.goodsamapp.org/AV or by downloading the GoodSAM app.
Graduating 2023-24 Heart Safe Communities:
Heywood (Barwon South West)
Winchelsea (Barwon South West)
St Arnaud (Grampians)
Warracknabeal (Grampians)
Heathcote (Loddon Mallee)
Lake Boga (Loddon Mallee)
Nathalia (Hume)
Tallangatta (Hume)
Meeniyan (Gippsland)
Metung (Gippsland)
Bulla (Metro)
Monbulk (Metro)
New 2024-25 Heart Safe Communities:
Dunkeld (Barwon South West)
Fairhaven-Aireys Inlet (Barwon South West)
Dimboola (Grampians)
Halls Gap (Grampians)
Merbein (Loddon Mallee)
Wycheproof (Loddon Mallee)
Bright (Hume)
Corryong (Hume)
Churchill (Gippsland)
Toongabbie (Gippsland)
Kingsville (Metro)
Lang Lang (Metro)
2023-24 Heart Safe Communities Initiative:
3301 community members trained.
55 new AEDs installed, 41 of which are 24-hour a day publicly accessible.
48 new active GoodSAM Responders.
