StarFlight’s free trauma training lifts off in Tasmania

StarFlight and Ambulance Tasmania are partnering to deliver free trauma training workshops to teach local communities’ life-saving skills that can help in an emergency.

The First Minutes Matter program has been developed by StarFlight’s emergency and aeromedical specialists to provide participants with practical, confidence-building skills for the first critical minutes of an emergency, before first responders arrive.

Workshops are focused on cardiac-related care to support GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medic) responders, in collaboration with Ambulance Tasmania, in hands-only CPR, AED use and scene safety.

GoodSAM is a safety app that alerts responders in the community to nearby cardiac arrest events, to help before an ambulance arrives.

This month StarFlight will deliver 16 workshops to Tasmanians in community locations across the state, from Castle Forbes Bay in the south to Burnie in the north-west.

Responders attended workshops today at the Dilston Memorial Hall to brush up on existing skills and learn new ones.

StarFlight General Manager Kriss Lawler, said providing the free community initiative supported StarFlight’s mission in the state.

“First Minutes Matter will provide our GoodSAM responders and beyond crucial skills to help their community, before first responders like Ambulance Tasmania, and in some cases StarFlight, arrive,” Mr Lawler said.

“Tasmania’s landscape is diverse, and medical emergencies can happen at any time. This initiative adds an additional layer of protection to our communities and gives people the confidence and skills to help. StarFlight is thrilled to be able to make this contribution to community safety in Tasmania.”

Ambulance Tasmania Acting Executive Director, Clinical Services, Andrew Howard said programs like First Minutes Matter play an important role in building community confidence and capability in medical emergencies.

“Having members of the public who know what to do in the event of a cardiac arrest can make a real difference in those early minutes before professional help arrives,” Mr Howard said.

“Across Tasmania, our GoodSAM responders are linked through the GoodSAM app, allowing them to respond to nearby cardiac arrests and help locate the nearest publicly accessible AED while an ambulance is on the way.

“These workshops provide GoodSAM responders with a valuable opportunity to practice their skills in a supported environment, strengthening the early links in the chain of survival through prompt recognition, early CPR and defibrillation. This is particularly important in our rural and regional communities, where distance and response times can present additional challenges for our crews.”

StarFlight Senior Medical Educator Leah Harrison, said CPR is a skill anyone can learn and you don’t need to be a health professional to do it.

“For every minute someone is in cardiac arrest, not receiving CPR and having an AED used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent,” Ms Harrison said.

“These workshops are hands on, and you’ll practice these skills to gain a thorough understanding of them and feel confident applying them in the future.

“Learning CPR and how to use an AED can make all the difference in a person’s medical outcome. Any attempt is better than none.”

For more information on First Minutes Matter, visit starflightaustralia.com.au/first-minutes-matter/.