Shocktober campaign receives international recognition

Ambulance Victoria’s (AV) Shocktober campaign has received international recognition at the 2026 International Safety Media Awards, winning Gold in the Expanded Campaign category and a Special Merit Award for its evaluation framework.

The campaign achieved the highest evaluation score of more than 400 entries from 24 countries, recognising its work to build community confidence and equip more Victorians with the skills to act when someone is in cardiac arrest.

Shocktober is AV’s annual month-long community education campaign, focused on improving bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and access to and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Through the simple Call, Push, Shock message, the campaign encourages Victorians to call Triple Zero (000), perform CPR and use an AED when someone is in cardiac arrest.

AV Chief Executive Officer Jordan Emery said the international recognition reflected the importance of giving people practical, accessible information that could help them save a life.

“At the heart of the campaign is the belief that effective communication saves lives,” Mr Emery said.

“The real impact of the Shocktober campaign extends well beyond four weeks in October. Victoria remains the safest state in Australia to have a cardiac arrest and is second only to Denmark world-wide in terms of cardiac arrest survival.”

Reaching communities across Victoria

A particular focus of the 2025 campaign was making life-saving information accessible to Victoria’s diverse communities.

Factsheets, frequently asked questions and CPR and AED instructional videos were translated into 16 languages, while AV worked with multicultural organisations to help share information with their communities.

Across the campaign, 315 community sessions reached 12,581 people – a seven per cent increase on 2024. Activities ranged from a dedicated session at Flinders Street Station to regional agricultural shows, emergency services expos and presentations to community groups.

The campaign also generated 324 media mentions with a potential reach of more than 4.2 million, while 104 organic social media and website posts generated almost 1.28 million impressions and more than 114,000 engagements.

The campaign is developed and delivered within Ambulance Victoria, bringing together expertise from across community engagement, communications, media and social media, alongside the clinical expertise of paramedics and researchers.

The campaign was designed around a detailed evaluation framework measuring both reach and meaningful behaviour change – the work recognised with the Special Merit Award.

In 2024-25, a record 152 patients received a shock from a public AED before paramedics arrived, demonstrating growing community confidence to take action when every second counts.

The award reflects the contribution of paramedics, volunteers, partners, survivors and bystanders who continue to strengthen Victoria’s response to cardiac arrest.

With Shocktober returning in just a few weeks, Victorians will once again have opportunities to learn Call, Push, Shock, build their confidence and gain the skills that could help save a life.

Keep an eye out for upcoming Shocktober events and more information about how you can get involved.