A NEW Ambulance Victoria phone application is encouraging people to make themselves available if someone is having a cardiac arrest nearby.
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The GoodSAM app alerts nearby responders to the location of the patient and the nearest defibrillator so they can administer CPR. At the same time the closest ambulance is also dispatched.
"When a call comes from the community that triggers a priority zero - the most urgent response, a cardiac arrest - it triggers people in a certain radius through the app," Ambulance Victoria Loddon Mallee regional director Michael Georgiou said.
"In built up urban areas the radius is about 400m and remote areas it's about 5km. It triggers the alert, and sees who is available to respond."
Mr Georgiou said every second counts for people suffering cardiac arrest.
"We know for every one minute doing nothing, it's a 10 per cent less chance of survival," he said. "So 10 minutes can have dire consequences.
"As much as ambos would love to say they would be with in one minute of every house, we know that it's not a reality. So this app is about working together as a community to achieve a good outcome.
"Non-trained and trained people can sign up, as long as they are willing and able. (The GoodSAM app) provides prompts and guidance on how to do CPR. Something is better than nothing."
Ambulance Victoria paramedics were at Bednigo Health on Wednesday signing up health practioners and civilians to the app.
Bendigo Health chief executive Peter Faulkner said it was a great initiative.
"In excess of 120 have cardiac arrests in Victoria each week and not many survive," he said. "With early intervention survival rate is much better.
"We hope community takes it up with zest and interest."
More than 10,000 Victorians have downloaded the app with 30 lives being saved since it was released last year.