Every Minute Matters: Building Lifesaving CPR Skills Across NSW This October
Throughout October, Royal Life Saving NSW continued its commitment to building safer, more resilient communities by delivering lifesaving CPR education to over 5500 people of all ages and backgrounds.
Coinciding with Restart a Heart Day on 16 October, the month provided an important opportunity to remind Australians that knowing how to respond in an emergency can make a lifesaving difference.
Through a combination of accredited CPR training and community awareness sessions, Royal Life Saving is helping more people develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to act when someone needs help.
Building confidence through CPR education
During October, Royal Life Saving NSW delivered CPR awareness education to over 235 school students, parents, older Australians and multicultural community groups across the state, helping to strengthen emergency preparedness and encourage more people to feel confident responding to a cardiac emergency.
October Highlights included:
Bossley Park Public School: Year 6 students and parents
Canley Vale Public School: Year 6 students and parents
Jacaranda Chinese Group, Hornsby: community members
BUPA Retirement Village, Sutherland: residents
These community activations complemented Royal Life Saving’s broader CPR education efforts in October, including training 1,800 teachers across 56 schools as part of the NSW Department of Education’s Staff Development Day on 12 October 2026 and a further 3500 participants across October course enrolments.
Why learning CPR matters
When someone experiences a cardiac arrest, every second counts. Immediate CPR can help maintain blood flow to vital organs while emergency services are on their way.
Whether through a nationally recognised accredited course or a community-based awareness session, learning CPR is an important step towards building a community where more people are willing and able to respond.
Accredited CPR courses provide practical training and formal assessment, while awareness sessions introduce participants to essential emergency response principles, including recognising an emergency, calling Triple Zero (000), performing chest compressions and understanding how an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can help.
Both approaches play an important role in making lifesaving education more accessible, particularly for people who may face barriers to formal training.
You don't need to be a healthcare professional to make a difference. Learning CPR could help you save the life of a family member, friend, colleague or stranger.
Community Pulse: Making lifesaving education accessible
Royal Life Saving NSW's Community Pulse program plays an important role in extending CPR and emergency response education to communities across NSW.
With the generous support of local clubs, councils and community partners, Community Pulse helps remove barriers to participation by providing accessible CPR awareness sessions, particularly for older Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and other groups who may have limited opportunities to access training.
The program helps participants recognise an emergency, understand how to call for help and become familiar with CPR and AEDs, empowering more people with the confidence to take action.
Thank you to our funding partners
Royal Life Saving NSW sincerely thanks the clubs and councils whose generous support makes Community Pulse possible.
We gratefully acknowledge:
West Tamworth League Club
Narrabri RSL
Chatswood RSL
Drummoyne Sailing Club
Canada Bay Club
Campsie RSL
Canterbury League Club
Seven Hills RSL
Ku-ring-gai Council
Orange Ex-Services' Club
Panthers Bathurst
Magpies Waitara
Rosehill Bowling Club
Cabravale Club Resort
Coffs Harbour City Council
Your contributions are helping Royal Life Saving NSW reach more people, strengthen community connections and build lifesaving knowledge across metropolitan and regional NSW.
We also thank the schools, community organisations, aged care providers and facilitators who continue to support and champion CPR education.
Could you save a life?
Cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time. Knowing what to do in those first critical moments could make all the difference.
Royal Life Saving NSW encourages everyone to learn CPR, refresh their existing skills and become familiar with the location of AEDs in their community.
Learn CPR. Build confidence. Be ready to act.
Explore Royal Life Saving NSW's CPR and First Aid training opportunities and take the next step towards becoming a lifesaver. Book your next course here.
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