First responder initiatives

First responders

The Metropolitan Ambulance Service continues to lead Australia in recognising the potential value of first responder programs to the community.

First responder initiatives such as the Community Emergency Response Teams, Emergency Medical Responseproject, Public Access Defibrillatorsand the Jewish community’s Chevra Hatzolah continue to play a vital role in bridging the time gap between initial calls for help and the arrival of paramedics.

These programs strengthen the chain of survival, the series of actions required to maximise the chances of survival of cardiac arrest patients.

The chain of survival:

Early access to ambulance via 000 from onset of symptoms
Early CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
Early cardiac defibrillation (the electric shock which can return the heart to the normal rhythm)
Early access to advanced cardiac life support as provided by MAS MICA paramedics.