Life-saving donations

By Lilly O’Gorman
A BERWICK CFA pilot program will continue to save lives thanks to ongoing support from community groups.
The fire brigade’s volunteers met with volunteers from the Berwick Opportunity Shop and international women’s organisation Beta Sigma Phi’s Gamma Master Berwick chapter recently.
Captain Alan Boyd said the brigade was able to upgrade its emergency medical response vehicle to a new Ford Territory largely because of the op-shop’s annual donation.
Berwick CFA is one of only five volunteer crews in Victoria to use one of the vehicles as part of a life-saving pilot program that started three years ago.
The pilot sees CFA volunteers attending priority triple zero calls – medical emergencies such as heart attacks, drug overdoses, and drowning where the patient has no pulse, no breathing, and there is a high likelihood of death – in the emergency response vehicle.
The vehicle contains life-saving equipment including a defibrillator, oxygen equipment, and first aid supplies.
If it arrives at the scene before an ambulance, CFA volunteers are able to commence treatment and potentially save a life.
“There are a number of people in Berwick alive today that would not otherwise be if it were not for the program,” Mr Boyd said.
“There was a carpenter who collapsed on a building site in Berwick and we were the first on scene. We gave him CPR, shocked his heart, and basically brought him back before the ambulance arrived.
“That person would probably be dead otherwise.
“We respond to between 40 and 50 of these incidents a year. Sometimes we arrive before the ambulance, sometimes we get there together. There are a number of people whose lives have been saved by this program.”
Mr Boyd also thanked the Gamma Master chapter, which donated funds that were used to buy an incident control kit that’s vital for tracking resources and managing incidents at larger fires.
“The CFA relies largely on the support of the community to fund extra pieces of equipment and at Berwick we very much appreciate the generosity of the community,” Mr Boyd said.
“We look forward to using the new equipment for everyone’s benefit.”