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    ON A MISSION: Ambulance Victoria Grampians regional director Tim Maywald is encouraging people to register for free online CPR training tomorrow. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER

Ambulance life-saving lessons go virtual to help save lives

Paramedics are set to teach Wimmera residents vital life-saving techniques in a virtual event in line with annual ‘Restart a Heart Day’. 

How to perform CPR and use an Automatic External Defibrillator, AED, will be the focus of Ambulance Victoria’s online lessons. 

Grampians regional director Tim Maywald is encouraging residents to tune into the live sessions tomorrow. 

Mr Maywald said paramedics were on a mission to improve cardiac arrest survival rates after research revealed a 50-percent drop in survival during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. 



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“We’ve dubbed October 
‘Shocktober’, and we’re offering all Victorians a chance to learn basic CPR and how to use an AED,” he said.

“Registration is easy, free and it’s something you can do with the family in the living room.”

Mr Maywald said the more Victorians who knew CPR, how to use an AED and where they were located in their community, the more lives would be saved.

“Every day, the hearts of about 18 Victorians will stop beating due to cardiac arrest, and only one in 10 of those people will survive,” he said.

“The sooner someone receives CPR and defibrillation, the better their chances.

“The chain of survival is simple – call, push, shock. Call triple zero, push hard and fast on the middle of the chest, and shock using an AED.”

Ambulance Victoria’s Shocktober campaign also involved a donation of more than 100 AEDs across the state. Murtoa, Halls Gap and Beulah communities were successful in receiving 24-hour access AEDs. 

Mr Maywald said it was critical all AEDs were registered with Ambulance Victoria and publicly accessible.

“When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, the triple zero  call taker can direct people to the nearest AED if it is registered,” he said.

“Cardiac arrests don’t just occur during business hours so we are encouraging all schools, businesses and sporting clubs to make their AEDs accessible to the community 24-7.”

People can email their name and suburb to community.
engagement@ambulance.vic.gov.au and Ambulance Victoria will respond with details of the online event.

The entire October 14, 2020 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!