More than 35,000 more Kiwis now have the life-saving skills to help someone suffering from a cardiac arrest thanks to Hato Hone St John’s record breaking Shocktober CPR awareness campaign.

The campaign is the most successful since its inception three years go.

Throughout October more than 80 St John educators delivered life-saving sessions in 72 towns and cities.

In addition, 62 schools took part in the successful ‘Save your Teddy’ campaign that saw 6307 students learn how to assist if someone is in cardiac arrest by getting hands-on practice with their favourite teddy bear as part of the internationally recognised World Restart a Heart Day, which falls in the middle of Shocktober.

Cardiac arrest is still one of Aotearoa’s biggest killers. Seven people a day are treated for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in New Zealand – that’s more than 2,000 per year with males dominating the gender statistics by 68% compared to 32% female.

Seventy six % of patients receive bystander CPR and six % receive defibrillation by a Community Responder prior to ambulance arrival which is why it’s so important to educate as many people as can to learn the 3-Steps-for-Life programme. They are simple to learn - Step one: Call 111; Step two: Start CPR; Step three: Use an Automated External Defibrillator.

Twenty three % of patients survive the event and have a pulse on arrival at hospital, however, sadly, only eleven % of patients survive. The numbers are worse for Māori (25 % lower survival than non-Māori) and Pacific people (33 % lower survival than non-Pacific people), who are more likely to suffer a cardiac arrest earlier in life.

“We are delighted with the response from our communities – it has exceeded our expectations. Our aim was to teach as many kiwis as possible the 3 Steps for Life to empower them with the knowledge and confidence to act quickly in an emergency and these numbers have exceeded our expectations,” said Jacci Tatnell, St John National Manager – Community Education.

How you can help:

- New Zealand has more than 12,800 people registered as GoodSAM* responders. Visit the *GoodSAM website to register as a responder or download the GoodSAM app from the app store. The GoodSAM network of trained volunteers - including doctors, nurses, paramedics and registered first aiders - give life support to people in cardiac arrest while help is on the way. GoodSAM is a free app that alerts trained volunteers that a person nearby could be in cardiac arrest, allowing them to provide basic life support and first aid prior to emergency services arriving.

- Download the Hato Hone St John CPR app. This give you instructions on how to perform CPR and use an AED (including videos), a timer to help with steady chest compressions and is available.

- Download the AED Locations app to find the nearest AED in your area. AED numbers in the community are growing, with more than 13,660 registered throughout the country. That number has been bolstered at marae across New Zealand with gifts of AEDs into vulnerable communities thanks to ASB, with the support of Phillips and Hato Hone St John. In addition, all ASB branches have AEDs.