Shocktober is our month-long campaign which takes place during October every year. It aims to highlight the importance of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
This Shocktober
Learn Call Push Shock
Learn how to perform CPR and use an AED
Sign-up to GoodSAM
GoodSAM is a free app that helps save lives.
Attend a community event
We’ll be out and about across Victoria this October.
Learn about AEDs
Find an AED
Search the AED registry and view AED locations on a map.
Register my AED
Register your AED to help connect AEDs with people who need them.
Why is it important?
Every day around 21 Victorians suffer a cardiac arrest, with only one in 10 surviving. That’s why immediate action is critical.
A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively around the body.
For every minute that CPR is delayed, survival decreases by 10 per cent. But when a patient receives CPR and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive, their chance of survival more than doubles.
Community resources
Translated resources
Call Push Shock resources are available in multiple languages to help everyone understand important health information.
Stakeholder resources
Download Shocktober images, graphics and videos to share on social media channels.
Shocktober stories
Ordinary people, extraordinary actions – bystanders save young Melbourne woman’s life
At just 35-years-old, Tekitah Falkenberg almost lost her life when she went into cardiac arrest at work. Thanks to the quick actions of bystanders, she is alive to tell the tale this Shocktober.
Give every heart a chance this Shocktober
This Shocktober, Ambulance Victoria is calling on you to give every heart a chance and learn the three simple steps that could save your loved one – Call, Push, Shock.
Shocktober 2026 community events
We’ll be out and about across Victoria this October, connecting with locals and teaching our community all about AEDs and CPR. Come and find us at these upcoming community events.
Shocktober campaign receives international recognition
Ambulance Victoria’s Shocktober campaign won Gold in the Expanded Campaign category at the 2026 International Safety Media Awards and received a Special Merit Award for its evaluation framework.
Heart attack survivor’s heartfelt reunion
A fun weekend away took an almost deadly turn for Melbourne man Adam Dalrymple last November, when a severe heart attack caused him to go into cardiac arrest.
Mildura woman survives pilates cardiac arrest
Participants in a Mildura pilates class have shown the incredible impact of bystander CPR, helping save the life of a fellow class member who experienced a cardiac arrest.
Soccer team saves player in cardiac arrest
Barwon Heads man Jon Phillips’ local soccer team work together to do more than just kick goals, with the group saving his life five months ago when Jon went into cardiac arrest on the pitch.
Call, Push, Shock saved his life, now Andrew teaches others
16 years ago, Andrew Driscoll almost lost his life after experiencing a cardiac arrest at home. Today, he proudly wears an Ambulance Victoria uniform, driven by his passion to teach others what to do in an emergency.
Twelve shocks help save the life of truck driver in cardiac arrest
A truck driver has defied the odds to survive a heart attack and cardiac arrest in the sleeper cabin of his vehicle.
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