Werribee firefighter Rohan Rizzoli has been helping save lives through the GoodSAM app, and now he wants to get the word out to the community.
Anyone who is qualified to perform CPR, including those without a medical background, can sign up for the program and aid those in a medical emergency- usually within walking distance from their own location.
“I just enjoy helping others in the community,” Mr Rizzoli said.
He estimates that he has attended 15 alerts through the app since signing up in 2018.
Having a leg up on most with his background as a first responder, Mr Rizzoli described some traits that make a good volunteer responder.
“Experience comes to mind, having good emotional intelligence and being able to deal with what’s at hand and then later on being able to deal with your own emotions,” he said.
One of the more memorable emergencies Mr Rizzoli attended occurred when he was getting dressed for a CFA event.
Responding to a woman who was not breathing less than 100 metres from his home, he performed CPR for 17 minutes, an exhausting feat, much less in firefighting gear.
Witnessing unsettling scenes can be a reality of responding to emergencies, which is why GoodSAM participants receive follow-up calls and various forms of ongoing support.
“You can walk away with your chin up and your head held high knowing that you’ve put your skills to the test and done the best you can for that person,” Mr Rizzoli said.
“It’s a good feeling knowing you’ve done your best for someone in the community.”
More: ambulance.vic.gov.au/goodsam/
