Thirty-nine lives have been saved thanks to good Samaritans who have signed up as NSW Ambulance GoodSAM volunteers since the app was launched last year.
On the 12-month anniversary of the launch of the app, Minister for Health Ryan Park is encouraging more people to sign up as a GoodSAM volunteer and help save a life if someone near them has a cardiac arrest.
More than 8,000 community members have already joined the free life-saving NSW Ambulance GoodSAM program.
One of those volunteers, Valerie Harwood, knows firsthand how important cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is after bystanders helped save her life when she had a cardiac arrest in May 2023.
Valerie said that one minute she was participating in a standard climb at her local rock-climbing gym in Coniston and the next thing she remembers is waking up in hospital.
Thankfully, two off-duty nurses were in the gym at the time and provided CPR to Valerie before paramedics arrived, saving her life.
Inspired and grateful, Valerie signed up as a GoodSAM volunteer so that she can hopefully save someone else’s life.
The GoodSAM app works by alerting registered responders when someone near them goes into cardiac arrest and a Triple Zero (000) call has been received.
Responders can opt whether or not to accept the alert and respond by providing CPR, while at the same time, an ambulance is dispatched.
NSW Ambulance has incorporated the NSW public access defibrillator registry into the GoodSAM app, meaning responders can also see if an automated external defibrillator (AED) is located near a person experiencing cardiac arrest and use it to improve that person’s chance of survival.
You can register as a GoodSAM responder if you’re 18 years old or over, and able and willing to provide chest compressions, which are easy and safe to do. You don’t need to have formal first aid or CPR training. To register, please visit: ambulance.nsw.gov.au/goodsam
In 2022, the NSW Government announced a $2.5 million partnership between NSW Ambulance and the GoodSAM responder app.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Ryan Park:
“The best chance of survival for anyone having an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is receiving early chest compressions and defibrillation from an automated external defibrillator.
“Signing up as a GoodSAM volunteer will lead to more lives being saved, as with more volunteers we can increase the odds that someone near can perform simple chest compressions in the first few minutes while paramedics arrive and help save a life.
“The first eight minutes after someone suffers a cardiac arrest is crucial and for every minute a patient is in cardiac arrest and does not receive CPR or a shock from a defibrillator, their chance of survival drops by 7 to 10 per cent.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan:
“NSW Ambulance attends to around 9,000 people in NSW who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year.
“If you see a community member who has had a cardiac arrest, the best thing you can do is call Triple Zero (000) and start chest compressions.
“GoodSAM volunteers nearby will be notified as an ambulance is being dispatched and our emergency medical call taker will give you clear instructions and stay with you on the phone until paramedics arrive.
“Sadly, not everyone survives a cardiac arrest; but for situations where the medical condition causing the arrest is treatable, we need to give those people the very best chance of returning home – and that means early chest compressions.”
Quotes attributable to Valerie Harwood:
“I’m lucky that there were people near me when I had my cardiac arrest who were able to provide CPR. This is not the case for everyone but the best way to increase the odds that someone nearby can help is for more people to sign up to GoodSAM.
“I have become a GoodSAM volunteer because I know how important it is for people to receive CPR as quickly as possible and I encourage everyone to sign up.”