Two winners at Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA) Awards 2026

• Winner: Excellence in Patient Care: SJWA State Defibrillator Network improves Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) patient outcomes
• Winner: Excellence in Mental Health & Wellbeing: PAWS: Early intervention for strengthening Wellbeing
• Finalist: Excellence in Staff Development: Transforming SJWA Driver Training through legislative reform and evidence-based practice

St John WA scooped up two Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA) Excellence Awards in Canberra overnight.

Chief Emergency Officer Wil White was in Canberra to congratulate the winners, as well as finalists.

He acknowledged many teams not present on the night continue to diligently deliver behind the scenes to help bring St John’s values and vision of a better world to life.

“What we deliver to support ambulance emergency response is not possible without all the different departments working together to bring training, systems and equipment and a culture of safety that ultimately transforms Western Australian lives and the outcomes for their families,” Wil said.

“We will continue to strive to be the best pre-hospital emergency healthcare service in the nation.

“This is a win for all at St John WA, and I couldn’t be prouder of our people.”

Congratulations also to Shaye Wesley who graduated from the two-year CAA Women in Ambulance Leadership Program, with thanks to Dr Gayle Christie and Karen Stewart for being mentors for the program.

Group CEO Kevin Brown extended his heartfelt congratulations to all those who represent St John WA at the CAA Congress in Canberra, including Lauren D’Arcy who is presenting on Convo.

“We do great work and I applaud the opportunity to tell our story and showcase our organisation on an Australasian stage,” Kevin said.

“Congratulations team.”

This year’s winners:

State Defibrillator Network improves Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) patient outcomes

St John WA’s State Defibrillator Network (SDN) is a unique patient-centred, system-level innovation helping deliver world-class out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival rates and the largest coordinated Automated External Defibrillator (AED) registry and deployment network in Australia.

Unlike some Australian AED registries, the SDN is fully integrated into SJWA’s computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system and registered AEDs automatically surface based on geographic proximity, so all nearby devices are visible in the critical seconds of a Triple Zero (000) call. SJWA’s State Control Centre (SCC) can also directly request the AED be brought to the patient via emergency contacts stored for the location – saving time and lending greater assistance to the scene without interrupting CPR.

This combination distinguishes the WA model and transforms AEDs from passive assets into actively deployed clinical interventions.

PAWS: Early intervention for strengthening wellbeing

Over the past 18 months, St John WA’s Psychology and Wellbeing Services (PAWS) has undergone a deliberate and transformative redesign to create a modern evidence‑based and values‑driven mental health service tailored to the complex needs of diverse ambulance teams.

Recognising traditional, reactive support models were insufficient for a geographically vast state and SJWA’s hybrid team of more than 8000 volunteer and career members, PAWS’ service delivery now prioritises prevention, early detection, and system‑level psychosocial risk management in line with WA Work Health Safety (WHS) legislation.

PAWS has significantly enhanced accessibility and equity of support, particularly for regional and remote team members. Dedicated regional Wellbeing Coordinators, expanded External Assistance Provider (EAP) availability statewide, and greater uptake of 24/7 Wellbeing Phone Line ensures timely and confidential support for all workers and their families.

Proactive monitoring of cumulative trauma exposure and improved data integration now allow earlier, more targeted intervention, reducing reliance on crisis‑driven responses.