ROBINVALE residents are in one of the best positions to receive out-of-hospital treatment for a cardiac arrest, after the town recently became an accredited Heart Safe Community.
After graduating from a program that upskilled the community to save the life of someone having a cardiac arrest, Robinvale is now one of 20 accredited communities in Victoria.
Ambulance Victoria community officers Sandra Mackintosh and Bobby Hammet said over the two-year program Robinvale had been vital in building community resilience and improving cardiac arrest survival rates for people living and working in the area.
“The expansion of the Heart Safe Community statewide program, a joint initiative between Ambulance Victoria and the Heart Foundation, built the confidence and skills in local communities to step in and provide life-saving assistance if someone is in cardiac arrest,” Ms Mackintosh said.
“The program aimed to raise community awareness of cardiac arrest, promote the role of 000 in a cardiac emergency, teach people cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills, how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), identify and register existing defibrillators, install and register new defibrillators and promote and educate on the use of smart phone technologies, like the GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medic) app.”
Robinvale now has 10 new public defibrillators, four available 24 hours at Robinvale Lawn Tennis Club, Robinvale Riverside Caravan Park, Robinvale Golf Club and Happy Valley Store.
“While bystanders alone will never replace an ambulance service, equipping people with skills to start the chain of survival; starting chest compressions or CPR and using an AED does save lives,” Mr Hammet said.
All four machines are on the AED register, which means if someone suffers a cardiac arrest and a bystander calls 000, the call-taker can direct people to the nearest defibrillator.
Mr Hammet also encouraged residents to register with GoodSAM, which connects people having a cardiac arrest with the nearest responders and defibrillators in the critical time before paramedics arrive.
The Heart Safe Community program was launched in 2019 and has resulted in more than 5000 people in 17 locations being educated in resuscitation and how to use a defibrillator.
