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Sudden or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, of any age or fitness, and is when a person collapses unconscious and has agonal to no breathing. St John WA receives more than 1000 cases each year, of which only 1 in 10 survive. For every minute CPR isn’t provided, the chance of survival drops…

Usually, the Goldfields town of Coolgardie has around 850 residents. When the Outback Festival is on it’s more like 7,850. People come from across WA to celebrate life in the ochre, pitching up and staying for the weekend. There’s bush cooking, blacksmithing and bulldozer racing by day, and boot scooting into the night. St John…

Fifty kilometres outside Kalgoorlie, Starlink is the only way to connect to the world. Major networks disappear with sealed roads. Gold prospectors check their satellite phones and snakebite kits and hope to return a little richer. Edie, Marjorie and Nikki offer visitors the chance to dig for something different. Honey ants are also shimmery, elusive…

In Bennett Springs, a ring is being painted on a local soccer pitch. Plastic chairs are lined up. There’s a DJ booth. Loor dancers and drummers compete with the speakers and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Cultural and Recreational Centre, on whose grass we stand, is prepared for an after-party. But first, wrestling. Today, Perth’s Western Empire will take…

“It’s not a matter of if you get hurt. It’s when, and how much.” In the South West town of Balingup, Alpin Grant is King. He and his wife, Queen Laura, represent the monarchy at the world-famous Balingup Medieval Carnivale. The event runs for one weekend each year, but a King’s responsibilities — training, researching, creating —…

Just outside Margaret River, in Bramley National Park, are the Wooditjup Trails. Created by locals, they are a challenge for experienced downhill riders and a training ground for the next generation. Meg, 15, and Sage, 13, know them back to front. Trails like Golden Carrot, Cut Cork, High Horse, and Cash and Karri have been…

Lawnmowers usually try for chequerboard-straight strips. These ones follow the racing line. Starting at 17cc, the vehicles of The Western Australian Mower Racing Association (WAMRA) top out at 450cc. Tuned for the track, the smaller capacity engines are quick, and the bigger ones can hit 110kph. No blades and, sometimes, no brakes. The only thing…

If you are still of the belief that you can suck the venom out from a snake bite, or that butter will soothe a burn, read on. Please. We’re begging you. It’s been a long time since mouldy bread was suggested as infection prevention and thankfully, the days of bloodletting and trepanning are long gone.…

Deciding to install a defibrillator in your workplace is a critical step toward ensuring the safety of your employees. But how do you go about it? What’s the best way to determine how many AEDs you need or where to place them? The St John Safe program can help guide you through this process, ensuring…

You’ve got fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and emergency plans in place. But have you considered the life-saving potential of having a defibrillator in your workplace? Sudden cardiac arrest doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone, regardless of age or fitness level, and it often strikes without warning. In these moments, having an Automated External…

In a high-pressure moment, like witnessing someone collapse from cardiac arrest, it’s easy to feel unsure about how to help. One of the most common questions is: “Do I need special training to use a defibrillator?” Surprisingly, the answer is no. You don’t need to be a doctor, paramedic, or even a first-aid expert to…

Making sure your Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is in optimum working order takes just a few minutes, but could make a world of difference. A regular check-up each month means that you’ll be confident and prepared to act in an emergency. So whether you’re part of a local footy team, workplace or community organisation, making…