By Charlene Macaulay
Werribee Coast Guard volunteers are now in the business of saving lives both in and out of the water.
They have joined Victoria’s growing community of GoodSAM responders, which will allow them to provide lifesaving assistance to locals suffering a cardiac arrest.
Werribee Coast Guard commander Bruce Lawrence said a volunteer in the immediate vicinity of a call-out who is signed up to the GoodSAM app might be the quickest available first responder.
“We carry formal marine certifications and, of course, one of those certifications is first aid and CPR,” he said.
“All of our crew have that and because of that, we can assist Ambulance Victoria when we’re off duty and we’re around.
“In Werribee there’s 30 of us running around every day doing what we do … it extends out the capabilities of a first responder for Ambulance Victoria.”
Werribee is one of 19 Coast Guard branches across the state signed up as GoodSAM responders.
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Tony Walker said the Coast Guard volunteers joined off-duty paramedics, firefighters, surf lifesavers, doctors, nurses and many other trained first responders.
“We know that the sooner a person in cardiac arrest receives CPR and defibrillation, the better the chance of survival,” he said.
Australian Volunteer Coast Guard vice-captain of search and rescue operations Adam O’Neill added: “Our volunteers join Coast Guard because they want to help in times of need. GoodSAM gives us an opportunity to provide a broader emergency response beyond our waters – it’s a great initiative.”
