A sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can occur to anyone at any time and often has no warning signs. Fortunately, if we all work together, this death rate can be decreased. At St John, we strongly believe that with the right knowledge, the right training and the right equipment the community can together increase the cardiac arrest survival rate for all of us.

A fact of life that will never change is that bacteria and viruses are everywhere around us. Some ‘bad’, some ‘good’ and some won’t affect us at all. Coughing, breathing, touching and bodily fluids can all spread these microorganisms between us and even lead to serious deadly diseases.

There are few downfalls of an Australian summer, but the fierceness of our bushfires is certainly one of them. As a precautionary measure it’s important all Aussies know how to provide First Aid for smoke inhalation to fight the number of lives lost in the case of a tragic bush or house fire.

Thank you to everyone who supported the goals we had for the community this year - customers, donors, partners and to our wonderful volunteers - you made all this possible. Merry Christmas, stay safe and look after each other over the festive season! If you'd like to support us to achieve even more in 2020, please donate to our programs via: http://stjohnvic.org/7e5d9

CPR is shown in movies often and most of the time, it shows an unrealistic miracle in incorrect first aid techniques. Currently, only 1 in 10 Australians survive cardiac arrests but this statistic can be reduced by having more people provide CPR in a timely manner.

One of Australia’s most renowned native animals is the deadly brown snake. The venomous reptile is one of many lethal creatures that inhabit our contrasting landscapes but it is certainly the most frequently encountered.