More Victorians ready to Restart a Heart

Community members in 12 Victorian towns are now well equipped to help save the life of someone in cardiac arrest – the towns graduating this month as Heart Safe Communities.

It comes as new communities across the state begin the life-saving 12-month joint initiative by Ambulance Victoria (AV) and the Heart Foundation.

The Heart Safe Communities program aims to improve survival rates from cardiac arrest with a concerted effort in selected towns across Victoria to teach residents how to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED), register publicly accessible AEDs, and increase the number of active GoodSAM responders.

GoodSAM is a life-saving smartphone app that connects Victorians in cardiac arrest with members of the community who are willing to start CPR before paramedics arrive.

Over the past year, 3,902 community members trained in Call, Push, Shock, 35 new AEDs were registered – 21 of which are 24/7 publicly accessible – and more people signed up as GoodSAM responders, meaning more than 17,300 Victorians are now registered on the app.

AV Acting Metropolitan Regional Director Jess McGowan congratulated everyone involved in the program, as work begins in 12 new towns.

“The Heart Safe Communities program is all about teaching Victorians that anyone can save a life – simply follow the three simple steps: Call Triple Zero (000), Push hard and fast on the middle of the chest to give CPR, and Shock using an AED,” she said.

“Every minute matters in a cardiac arrest and it’s pleasing to know more people will now feel confident to act while paramedics are on their way.”

Victoria has Australia’s best cardiac arrest survival rate and the third best anywhere in the world, largely thanks to high rates of bystander intervention.

The Heart Safe Communities program launched in 2019 and there are now 54 Heart Safe Communities across Victoria, with another 12 towns commencing the program for 2025-26.

Heart Foundation Victoria General Manager Chris Enright said initiatives such as Heart Safe Communities are designed to support and encourage bystanders to take life-saving action in an emergency.

“In a Heart Safe Community, residents who’ve taken part in the initiative are equipped with the knowledge and tools to respond to somebody experiencing a cardiac arrest. This support includes giving people the confidence to step in and perform CPR, as well as the use of a life-saving AED to help increase someone's chances of survival,” she said.

“The Heart Foundation is proud to work alongside Ambulance Victoria to provide communities with access to life-saving resources and training through the Heart Safe Communities program.”

Graduating 2024-25 Heart Safe Communities

• Dunkeld: 73 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 11 per cent of the town’s population – and three new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, all 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to nine.
• Fairhaven/Aireys Inlet: 371 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 27 per cent of the towns’ populations – and two new publicly accessible AEDs were registered. Along with upgrading existing AEDs, the towns gained five new 24/7 accessible AEDs, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to ten.
• Churchill: 281 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – six per cent of the town’s population – and two new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, one 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to nine.
• Toongabbie: 177 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 16 per cent of the town’s population – and two new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, both 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to four.
• Dimboola: 436 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 27 per cent of the town’s population – and one new 24/7 publicly accessible AED was registered, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to seven.
• Halls Gap: 157 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 32 per cent of the town’s population – and one new 24/7 publicly accessible AED was registered, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to ten.
• Corryong: 425 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 31 per cent of the town’s population – and three new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, two of them 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to 12.
• Bright: 330 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 13 per cent of the town’s population – and three new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, two of them 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to 24.
• Merbein: 306 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 11 per cent of the town’s population – and three new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, two of them 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to 13.
• Wycheproof: 260 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 43 per cent of the town’s population – and three new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, one 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to ten.
• Lang Lang: 286 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 11 per cent of the town’s population – and four new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, three of them 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to eight.
• Kingsville: 800 community members learnt to Call, Push, Shock – 20 per cent of the town’s population – and eight new publicly accessible AEDs were registered, two of them 24/7 accessible, bringing the total number of registered AEDs in the community to eight.

New 2025-26 Heart Safe Communities

• Portarlington/Indented Head (Barwon South West)
• Koroit (Barwon South West)
• Briagolong (Gippsland)
• Noojee (Gippsland)
• Goroke (Grampians)
• Edenhope (Grampians)
• Bonnie Doon (Hume)
• Nagambie (Hume)
• Rushworth (Loddon Mallee)
• Red Cliffs (Loddon Mallee)
• Moonee Ponds (Metro)
• Springvale (Metro)

Learn more about Shocktober, find your nearest AED and sign up as a GoodSAM responder.