Bulletin 9 RCoBS (Sep 07, 2017)

That was a good idea wasn’t it?

Give the Chair a list of “jobs” by way of asking for reports from various Directors and Members.

And a special welcome to Geoff Adcock from Eaglehawk RCOBS.

Today we:

Postponed planting at OTIS until April or May 2018;
Agreed that carrying a valid Working With Children Card is mandatory;
Are no further with Child Protection ramifications;
- [George’s interpretation, having read the opinion from Beck Legal, is that we need to sit down with Community Services Girton Grammar School and draw up something {on one page}, to document responsibilities and liabilities with respect to Australia Day volunteers];
Patiently wait for report from Insurance and other committee re board members’ liabilities and indemnity insurance;
Know that seven applicants have been nominated for National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) around Bendigo;
Recognised the generosity of Pat putting up his hand for Foundation;
Decided to cancel our morning meeting October 11^th in favour of attending the function for Australian Rotary Health at White Hills in the evening of Thursday October 12^th;
Heard from Cathie that our Christmas “do” is on December 10^th and her committee have other exciting ideas in train, with emphasis on “The four F’s”;
Heard from Graeme that trees have been planted at his farm as one memento of Dowell;
Heard from Toni that Ray has sold all of the tickets for the Welsh Choir afternoon;
Received a report from Rob Rosaia re Federation Picnic Day;
Learned that Graeme is willing to transport the donated garments to DIK at West Footscray;
Accepted Evelyn’s call for a Markets Committee meeting tomorrow at her home {Hospitality is always excellent} at 5PM;
Considered several opinions relevant to getting THE SHED up to speed for Open Day Thursday October 26^th.

Then, into a presentation by our very own Maurice Woodburn on Ambulance Services and our responsibilities as “first responders” at a medical incident:

Over so few minutes Maurice took us from the “every town has it’s own autonomous ambulance service” in the “swoop and scoop” days, only a few years ago, to a sophisticated, coordinated system actively assessing and managing care “in-the-field”.

Maurice reminded us of 2017 attitudes to a person collapsing:

Once upon a time it was “Poor bugger had a heart attack”.

Now, with confidence, any of us can commence chest compressions immediately on a person “down”, knowing that the chances of “getting them back” is real, especially if a “defibrillator” is available.

Compressions and “000” is all we need to know.

We call the device which shocks the patient a “defibrillator” because the “shockable heart rhythm” is “fibrillation” as the “ventricles”, the business end of the heart pump, just sit there fibrillating like a bunch or bag of worms and not getting on with the pumping job.

An AED device [Automated External Defibrillator] can “kick” the heart’s control system back into pumping mode.

You do the pumping with chest compressions until a defibrillator “kicks in” the control system again.

An AED device is AUTOMATED

You just wack two sticky pads on to the chest and listen to the instructions as the AED analyses the heart rhythm and literally tells you what to do.

Magic.

And if that’s not going to work?

An ambulance with exceptionally well trained personnel and a whole bunch of heart drugs has arrived and has taken over.

And, another little snippet of life which communities seemed to have realized: If you’re flown to a hospital by “fixed wing” or “rotary wing” [read chopper”], then that’s normal. Don’t’ assume life is necessary critical.

Flying saves time anyway, and would you believe saves ambulance staff overtime payments.

Bottom line:

Want more evidence? Not convinced?

Check out:

Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry (VACAR) 2015-2016 Annual Report

Published March 16, 2017.

https://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/about-us/research/research-publications/

And snippet number two for those Frequent Flyers:

Any medical incident at an airport:

Hit the FIRE ALARM and ring 000 !!!

[Fireies are on site and medically trained … ambulance is “in town” kilometres away … Duhhh ]

Next step: