St John Ambulance (Qld) Ipswich Division recently received more than $5,300 from the Gambling Community Benefit Fund to purchase vital training equipment.
The Division, which services the City of Ipswich and surrounding areas, currently has more than 45 members providing vital first aid and medical assistance to events and disasters across the region. The funding will purchase a training defibrillator and 14 Cardiopulmonary (CPR) manikins, including two infant and two child manikins.
Divisional Manager Robyn Rossi said the funding support was much appreciated and ensured the volunteers could continue to improve health and safety in the Ipswich region.
“Without adequate training, our volunteers would not know how to save a life – this funding means we can provide the best first aid and advanced medical assistance to the residents of Ipswich,” she said.
The Ipswich Division identified the need for more training equipment to accommodate for a surge in Cadet and adult membership. The training equipment has provided the Division with a diverse amount of manikins, ensuring volunteers are ready for any situation.
“Prompt intervention using CPR can usually reverse a cardiac arrest, but without such intervention will almost always lead to death,” Robyn said.
Robyn said the generosity of the Gambling Community Benefit Fund and the exceptional first aid skills of the Ipswich Division will ensure residents in Ipswich and surrounding suburbs are kept safe at community events and disasters.
“While we hope our CPR training never has to be put into practice, it is great to know that our volunteers have been trained to perform CPR on an adult, child and infant baby.”
The Division is currently searching for more volunteers. If you are interested in giving back to the community, receiving nationally accredited training and meeting new people, join the St John Ambulance (Qld) Ipswich Division. The team meet every Monday at 6.30pm at Room 4, Humanities Building, South Street, Ipswich. To join, call Robyn on 0413 448 017 or email ipswich@stjohnqld.com.au
Divisional Manager Robyn Rossi (far left) and State Operations Coordinator Ben Scott (far right) thank Jennifer Howard, MP for Ipswich (centre) for her ongoing support to St John Ambulance (Qld).