November 6, 2025 • 5 mins
Could you save a life? St John WA’s Megs O'Donnell tells Lisa & Russell how performing CPR straight away can double or even triple someone’s chance of survival – with no long-term damage. Tune in to hear more about first aid and how you can help to save someone's life.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We have been doing this all week. We recently learned
that WA has the worst drownings statistics in the country.
We were surprised and we were alarmed, and heading into summer,
we wanted to talk about the importance of knowing how
to swim and also knowing CPR, because it's incredibly beneficial
to have some CPR skills. And that's why, and that's
(00:23):
what we're looking at today with Meg's O'Donnell from Saint John.
Megs is the WA Chief Preventative. It's a great word
preventative officer.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello Megsawn, Meg.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Morning, how are you going good?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
So, first of all, tell us about the CPR and
first aid courses that Saint John offer.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well, Saint John has a wide range of first aid courses,
So for those who really haven't done any first aid
training before, we've got a really comprehensive kind of two
day course either online and in person, right through to
those who maybe have done some first aid before and
just want to be able to do some refresher on
import skilled fight CPR. So generally, if you jump onto
(01:03):
our website, there's a form of first aid training pretty
much to anyone is CP.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I've often wondered, is CPR something that you can even
like attempt if you have had no instruction in it.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yes, And I think a key thing is if you
ring us, If you ring triple O, our call operators
will immediately help you and instruct you and guide you
as to how to do it. So they'll be with
you every step of the way. So even if you
haven't had the training, they're there to support you. So
as soon as you ring triple oh, you'll be able
(01:37):
to do it.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Something is better than nothing, Yeah, exactly, and just attempting something,
you know, what are the rates of survival when CPR
is performed quickly? You know, whether you know it or not.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So if you can perform immediate CPR on someone, you
can double or even triple their chances of survival. So
those first couple of minutes are critical.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah, we have been talking you know about you know,
near drowning situations this week megs with CPR, and that
can in that situation. How quickly can brain damage begin
if it's not done well.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I think the unique thing about drowning is that the
heart stops because of oxygen deprivations. So if you've seen
someone who's drowning or drowned, then CPR immediately is important
because you know that their brain has been deprived of oxygen.
So the quicker that you start doing CPR and get
those rescue breaths and compressions in, the more likely they
(02:42):
are to recover and also recover without any long term damage.
So again those first couple of minutes, just get your
hand on chest to start doing CPR as quickly as possible.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Megs. So people are attempting it, they may not have
the full understanding of CPR. But there's an old saying
that there's a certain song that if you have it
in your minds and if you're doing it to this beat,
it's ironic that it's staying alive.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It's not they didn't choose this because it's called staying alive.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It just happens.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Is this true? It's just it is.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
It's just that it's the perfect beat for that song
to do compression too. So if you think of that,
there's a couple of others, like there's another one Bites
the Dust.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
By Queen's that's a badly named.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
One thought, and then the other really annoying one for parents,
but it's very good. Is baby sharks, Baby shark.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I'm sticking with staying alive. Megs, I'm sorry, or I'll
do another one bites the dust, but just not say the.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Words that's true, true?
Speaker 1 (03:56):
What would you say to people who and I would
be of these people, I would be if I not
having CPR actual instruction, I'd be a bit nervous. If
I was thrown into the situation, I'd be scared. You
know that I was going to I don't know, break
a rib or something. What is that something that you
know you can give some advice to get over? Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
I think at the end of the day, if someone's
heart stopped, they desperately want someone to help them. So
any help is better than nothing. So just lean in
and again just a reminder, as soon as you ring
triple O, our team are there to.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Able to talk you through it.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So they will talk you through it. But you know,
anyone who's that in that circumstance really just needs help,
So and bystand to help before our paramedics get there
make all the difference.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And that's the great thing. I guess with everybody having
a phone or someone nearby having a phone on them
all the time, it's called triple zero straight away, get
help and it just increases the chances of survival absolutely well.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Now is the time to get yourself along to one
of these amazing courses. For more information on CPR and
first aid courses, head to Saint John w A dot
com dot au. It's just invaluable, it's an invaluable skill.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
And it's the time if you used to do it before.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Definitely, Meg, thanks for present.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
That the person who's got everything get them a skill. Megs,
thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Thank you, We really appreciate it. So there's some very
very good advice from Meg o'donald from Saint John
We have been doing this all week. We recently learned
that WA has the worst drownings statistics in the country.
We were surprised and we were alarmed, and heading into summer,
we wanted to talk about the importance of knowing how
to swim and also knowing CPR, because it's incredibly beneficial
to have some CPR skills. And that's why, and that's
(00:23):
what we're looking at today with Meg's O'Donnell from Saint John.
Megs is the WA Chief Preventative. It's a great word
preventative officer.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello Megsawn, Meg.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Morning, how are you going good?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
So, first of all, tell us about the CPR and
first aid courses that Saint John offer.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well, Saint John has a wide range of first aid courses,
So for those who really haven't done any first aid
training before, we've got a really comprehensive kind of two
day course either online and in person, right through to
those who maybe have done some first aid before and
just want to be able to do some refresher on
import skilled fight CPR. So generally, if you jump onto
(01:03):
our website, there's a form of first aid training pretty
much to anyone is CP.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
I've often wondered, is CPR something that you can even
like attempt if you have had no instruction in it.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yes, And I think a key thing is if you
ring us, If you ring triple O, our call operators
will immediately help you and instruct you and guide you
as to how to do it. So they'll be with
you every step of the way. So even if you
haven't had the training, they're there to support you. So
as soon as you ring triple oh, you'll be able
(01:37):
to do it.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Something is better than nothing, Yeah, exactly, and just attempting something,
you know, what are the rates of survival when CPR
is performed quickly? You know, whether you know it or not.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So if you can perform immediate CPR on someone, you
can double or even triple their chances of survival. So
those first couple of minutes are critical.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah, we have been talking you know about you know,
near drowning situations this week megs with CPR, and that
can in that situation. How quickly can brain damage begin
if it's not done well.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I think the unique thing about drowning is that the
heart stops because of oxygen deprivations. So if you've seen
someone who's drowning or drowned, then CPR immediately is important
because you know that their brain has been deprived of oxygen.
So the quicker that you start doing CPR and get
those rescue breaths and compressions in, the more likely they
(02:42):
are to recover and also recover without any long term damage.
So again those first couple of minutes, just get your
hand on chest to start doing CPR as quickly as possible.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Megs. So people are attempting it, they may not have
the full understanding of CPR. But there's an old saying
that there's a certain song that if you have it
in your minds and if you're doing it to this beat,
it's ironic that it's staying alive.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
It's not they didn't choose this because it's called staying alive.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
It just happens.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Is this true? It's just it is.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
It's just that it's the perfect beat for that song
to do compression too. So if you think of that,
there's a couple of others, like there's another one Bites
the Dust.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
By Queen's that's a badly named.
Speaker 4 (03:35):
One thought, and then the other really annoying one for parents,
but it's very good. Is baby sharks, Baby shark.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I'm sticking with staying alive. Megs, I'm sorry, or I'll
do another one bites the dust, but just not say the.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Words that's true, true?
Speaker 1 (03:56):
What would you say to people who and I would
be of these people, I would be if I not
having CPR actual instruction, I'd be a bit nervous. If
I was thrown into the situation, I'd be scared. You
know that I was going to I don't know, break
a rib or something. What is that something that you
know you can give some advice to get over? Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
I think at the end of the day, if someone's
heart stopped, they desperately want someone to help them. So
any help is better than nothing. So just lean in
and again just a reminder, as soon as you ring
triple O, our team are there to.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Able to talk you through it.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
So they will talk you through it. But you know,
anyone who's that in that circumstance really just needs help,
So and bystand to help before our paramedics get there
make all the difference.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And that's the great thing. I guess with everybody having
a phone or someone nearby having a phone on them
all the time, it's called triple zero straight away, get
help and it just increases the chances of survival absolutely well.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Now is the time to get yourself along to one
of these amazing courses. For more information on CPR and
first aid courses, head to Saint John w A dot
com dot au. It's just invaluable, it's an invaluable skill.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
And it's the time if you used to do it before.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Definitely, Meg, thanks for present.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
That the person who's got everything get them a skill. Megs,
thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Thank you, We really appreciate it. So there's some very
very good advice from Meg o'donald from Saint John
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