Likes, shares and alerts for people suffering cardiac arrest are some of the notifications that may appear on the phone of a bystander with first aid training.
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GoodSAM is a new phone application that connects heart attack victims with trained first-aiders.
The lifesaving application has been trialed by more than 700 Ambulance Victoria staff since the start of the year.
But it’s not just off-duty paramedics who are signed up to the app, with firefighters, surf life savers, doctors, nurses and, more recently, coast guard volunteers taking part too.
Warrnambool Coast Guard skipper David Francis is the first member to sign up to the lifesaving app, which opened to members of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (AVCG) earlier this month.
Mr Francis said he decided to sign up after an incident 12 months ago where he utilised his CPR training, gained through AVCG, to create a good outcome.
“I realised that that training was invaluable for me and we had a good outcome because of it, so I thought I may as well share the skills I’ve been provided with,” he said.
Warrnambool Coast Guard commander Allan Wood said the app was a great opportunity for first aid qualified members to use their lifesaving skills to the benefit of the wider community, and not just the boating community.
“It is really positive to see that a member has already signed up, with two or three out of 20 members showing an interest too,” he said.
“It’s obviously quite a big commitment so joining the app has been left to the discretion of our members.”
Mr Wood said that in the case of an emergency, the app would allow Ambulance Victoria to locate where Mr Francis was and get in contact with him straight away.
Mr Francis, who has received all his first aid training through AVCG, said the app was a great back up to the work conducted by Ambulance Victoria.
“As awesome as our ambulance service is, it’s that first three to five mins that is provided to a patient that is essential,” he said.
“It’s just the ability to keep the blood pumping around the body until the ambulance arrives, which can have have a massive effect on the ultimate outcome of the patient.”
Ambulance Victoria chief executive Tony Walker said he was pleased to see coast guard volunteers join the initiative.
“We’re so happy to have Australian Volunteer Coast Guard joining with us in our collective efforts to continue to improve cardiac arrest response in our community,” he said.
