THE Macarthur community has welcomed its first Ambulance Victoria (AV) Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Made up of five members, the Macarthur CERT is based at the Macarthur Community Health Centre and will provide support to the local community and surrounding towns 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

AV’s Barwon South West regional director, Terry Marshall said CERT members, play an important role in supporting AV’s response in emergencies in rural and remote Victoria, working alongside paramedics to deliver exceptional patient care.

“CERTs are members of the local community, have a genuine community spirit, and an interest in patient care,” he said.

“We will continue to welcome more people putting their hands up and getting involved to help locals in their time of need.

“The more volunteers we have, the better the coverage for the area, and for people living in and around it.”

CERT members are located in less populated and more remote areas of the state, support AV to respond to Triple Zero (000) calls and are dispatched at the same time as an ambulance to potentially time-critical emergencies in small rural communities.

Mr Marshall said CERTs do not transport people to hospital but respond to cases and provide first-aid services.

“CERTs provide fast and effective emergency care to local communities and surrounding districts and make a valuable contribution to the community’s health needs,” he said.

“In rural and regional areas, First Responders (FR) such as CERT members make a huge difference in assisting people in their time of need.”

Mr Marshall said local community spirit and involvement had always been an integral part of the Macarthur community and formed the basis of CERTs.

“If you’re keen to help make a difference in Macarthur, apply to become a CERT member - connecting and improving health outcomes for their communities is something that gives CERT members a sense of achievement and fulfilment,” he said.

“AV places a big emphasis on supporting its staff; CERT members have access to several services that encourage staff to debrief and chat when times are rough - as some jobs can be quite difficult - and FRs need to look after themselves physically and mentally to be able to provide the best care for their patients.

“Having said that, there aren’t many jobs where you can walk away and say that you have helped save or improve someone’s life and it is a role that leaves you with a sense of achievement and fulfilment no matter what job you are called to.

“Knowing you can make a difference in people’s lives is why I encourage members of the community to join.”

Another way locals can help improve health outcomes is by signing up to the GoodSAM app - a life-saving app that connects patients in cardiac arrest with a nearby volunteer who is willing to start hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while an ambulance is on the way.

As we near the end of Shocktober, AV is reinforcing the message that if someone in cardiac arrest receives CPR and a shock from an Automated External Defibrillator, they are more than twice as likely to survive.

“Everyday, around 19 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest and sadly only 1 in 10 survive, taking the lives of our loved ones far too soon,” Mr Marshall said.

“This is why, this Shocktober, we want as many people as possible to learn basic CPR and to become one of our amazing GoodSAM Responders.”  

For information about the Shocktober campaign visit ambulance.vic.gov.au/call-push-shock/