Uncategorized

A family picnic along the Swan River took a turn for the worst when Mark Donovan suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in January this year. Mark’s family and first aid-trained bystanders sprang into action and performed CPR until nearby Water Police were signalled for help and administered an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED). The rapid response to…

Having a cardiac arrest is not how Perth man Neil O’Brien planned to kick off his retirement. But that’s what happened to him just three days in to he and his wife Maria’s trip of a lifetime around Australia. The pair were camped at Coronation Beach, about half an hour north of Geraldton, when Neil,…

St John WA Urgent Care nurse Mark Pascual knew the importance of every heartbeat when he found himself saving the life of a restaurant patron having a sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency when someone is not responding and not breathing normally. Only one in 10 people survive sudden cardiac arrest.…

This year, 30,000 Australians and New Zealanders will die from a sudden cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest is a medical emergency when someone is not responding and not breathing normally. Only one in 10 people survive sudden cardiac arrest. Yet more lives can be saved if bystanders know first aid and/or do not feel apprehensive…

Today we bid farewell to one of our longest-serving paramedics, Giovanni Pampano as he embarks on a well earned retirement. Giovanni has served the WA community for more than 40 years with professionalism, enthusiasm and endless compassion.  One of Giovanni’s most memorable cases was when paramedics were finally authorised to defibrillate patients in the 1970’s. …

This month marks 20 years since the deadly Bali bombings brought terror to Western Australia’s doorstep. Three bombs detonated in busy nightspots on the holiday island left 202 people dead. Of those, 88 were Australians. Because of Perth’s proximity to Bali, local St John crews – along with other vital emergency services – played a…

St John WA has delivered more First Aid for Mental Health training across Western Australia as part of efforts to address a concerning rise in mental health disorders during COVID-19. Almost 4.2 million Australians were affected by a mental health disorder – predominantly anxiety – in the 2020 financial year, just after the pandemic struck,…

St John WA has appointed its first Group Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Brown. Mr Brown is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Perth Airport and was appointed following an extensive global search resulting in a strong applicant pool. He will join St John in January 2023. In addition, leading strategist and Olympian Sally Carbon OAM…

Trent Pope-Strathern has always known where he wanted to be in his career. Now he’s reached a one-year milestone in the State Operations Centre (SOC) and has begun mentoring his peers. Trent joined St John during the first wave of COVID-19 in the First Aid department. As the pandemic changed, so did his role, and…

The 2022 Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Emergency Services Blood Challenge is over for another year, with St John WA again coming out on top. Beginning in June and carrying through to August 31, the challenge invites emergency services teams to donate blood or plasma and help save lives. Every week, Australia needs 31,000 blood donations…