Bright is now better equipped to help save the life of someone in cardiac arrest, with the town having officially graduated as a Heart Safe Community this month.
Over the past 12 months 330 community members in Bright learnt how to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) under the life-saving joint initiative by Ambulance Victoria (AV) and the Heart Foundation to improve survival rates from cardiac arrest.
In addition to 13 per cent of the town's population learning to Call, Push, Shock, three new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, two of them with 24/7 accessibility, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to 24.
There was also an increase in the number of local active GoodSAM responders - people who can be contacted via a smartphone app to respond to a cardiac arrest and start CPR before paramedics arrive.
AV Hume regional director Narelle Capp congratulated everyone involved in the program.
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“The Heart Safe Communities program is all about teaching Victorians that anyone can save a life – simply follow the three simple steps: Call Triple Zero (000), Push hard and fast on the middle of the chest to give CPR, and Shock using an AED,” she said.
“Every minute matters in a cardiac arrest and it’s pleasing to know more people in our region will now feel confident to act while paramedics are on their way."
Victoria has Australia’s best cardiac arrest survival rate and the third best anywhere in the world, largely thanks to high rates of bystander intervention.
Heart Foundation Victoria general manager Chris Enright said initiatives such as Heart Safe Communities are designed to support and encourage bystanders to take life-saving action in an emergency.
Learn more about Shocktober, find your nearest AED and sign up as a GoodSAM responder by visiting: www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/shocktober
