St John CPR Challenge

Learn lifesaving CPR skills and join St John Ambulance Victoria’s first-ever Continuous CPR Challenge.

The 16th of October is Restart a Heart Day, a global initiative raising awareness of cardiac arrest and the importance of early CPR and defibrillation. To mark the occasion, St John Ambulance Victoria will host its first-ever livestreamed Continuous CPR Challenge.

Over four hours, participants will work together in a relay-style challenge to provide continuous CPR on training manikins, demonstrating the vital role that bystanders play in the chain of survival. The challenge will bring together St John volunteers, staff, partners, community members and invited guests, while being livestreamed online to engage audiences across Victoria and beyond.

The event is designed to be highly interactive and welcoming, encouraging members of the public to stop by, learn CPR, ask questions and take part in the challenge. St John staff will provide hands-on CPR demonstrations and practical information about how to recognise cardiac arrest, call Triple Zero (000), start CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). Each participant in the livestream will also receive a free first aid gift!

Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. When CPR is started immediately, and a defibrillator is applied soon after, a person’s chance of survival can be significantly improved. Through this activation, St John Ambulance Victoria aims to build community confidence, empower more people to act in an emergency, and promote the message that lifesaving skills are simple to learn and can make a critical difference.

As one of Melbourne’s most iconic public spaces, Fed Square provides the perfect setting to engage a wide range of people in a positive, community-focused health promotion activity. Combining education, participation and live storytelling, the Continuous CPR Challenge will inspire Victorians to learn CPR and help create a community that is ready and willing to step forward when a life is on the line.

Learn more about St John Vic here: https://www.stjohnvic.com.au/news/