August 1 - 31, 2025: Issue 645

 

Surf Life Saving Australia Develops Innovative Lifesaving CPR: SLSA will host online Q&A sessions for members


On Friday August 29 Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) announced it has developed Lifesaving CPR, a targeted educational program to improve CPR delivery in Surf Life Saving and increase survival outcomes.  

Developed over the past two years, SLSA is the largest volunteer organisation in Australia to introduce a program like this, with all Surf Life Saving states and territories incorporating the updated techniques into their training. 

“Surf Life Saving exists to save lives. By developing Lifesaving CPR, we can be leaders in the resuscitation world and help make sure that the care we provide our patients is the best it can possibly be,” said Chair of Medical Advisory Group, Dr Ned Douglas, who has played a significant role in the development of the program. 

Every year, approximately 26,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur in Australia, with only 13% of patients surviving to return home. Survival rates vary based on factors like early provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by bystanders, AED use, and ambulance response times. 

SLSA members respond to an average of 65 cardiac arrests per year while on duty, and they often act as first responders out in the community too. The evidence-based, standardised, and simplified approach to CPR is designed to improve survival rates from cardiac arrest, both on and off the beach. The program focuses on doing the basics exceptionally well and reducing variation in practice across our organisation. 

“Lifesaving CPR will help more patients survive cardiac arrest,” said Dr Douglas.  

“The program involves making changes to the way we do CPR to keep blood pumping throughout more of the time the patient is in cardiac arrest. 

“Keeping blood flowing helps organs, in particular the brain, be better supplied with oxygen and nutrients, making it more likely that the patient will recover and return to normal function. Better blood flow also improves the chance that other interventions such as defibrillation will be effective. 

Supported by research, and Australia and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation (ANZCOR) guidelines, Lifesaving CPR is based on the principles of the United States’ Resuscitation Academy’s High-Performance CPR model, however, has been adapted for the Australian surf lifesaving context. 

“The development of Lifesaving CPR started with a small group travelling to Seattle to visit the Resuscitation Academy,” said Dr Douglas. “Since then, over 300 front-line lifesavers from across the country have been involved in developing, testing and refining Lifesaving CPR and the associated education materials.” 

A pilot study with 159 surf lifesavers demonstrated that targeted training programs can improve CPR performance, ultimately supporting better outcomes for out of hospital cardiac arrest patients both on our beaches and within our communities. These findings prompted the broad adoption of L-CPR across Surf Life Saving, with every state and territory embedding the updated techniques into their 2025/26 Skills Maintenance programs and new courses. 

SLSA training resources for CPR have been updated including the Public Safety Aquatic Rescue Training Manual, the Bronze Medallion and Surf Rescue Certificate CPR assessment tasks and online learning.  

SLSA will host online Q&A sessions for members who have completed both the theory and practical aspects of their Lifesaving CPR training, to find out more about the updated techniques and to be able to ask questions from the Lifesaving CPR team. 

To register your attendance, click the links below.