Donnybrook ambos the State’s best

The Donnybrook St John Ambulance sub-centre has been named WA’s Volunteer Sub-Centre of the Year for 2019.

The announcement came last weekend at the St John awards in Perth and as a total shock to sub-centre chairman Ian Telfer.

“We didn’t know we were even nominated as finalists,” he said.

“I’m rapt for the centre, very proud of the volunteers and the work they’ve put in, but I’m also excited and extremely proud for the South West.

“It reflects the service of volunteers throughout the region ... this award is for them and for our community.”

The Donnybrook sub-centre has a total 20 volunteers on call at different times of day and the year, with no full-time paramedic working out of the base.

St John chief executive Michelle Fyfe said the award recognised the sub centre’s successful “saving lives” campaign, an initiative which provided CPR training to more than 1000 people and installed 26 defibrillator units around Donnybrook.

According to Mr Telfer, it was all well and good to have the units installed, but few people knew how to use them.

“This project showed the community were really keen to be engaged and once they learnt about the units, it demystified them and they embraced the training,” he said.

Another five public access defibrillators are set to be installed around Donnybrook in the near future, taking the area’s tally to 31, something Mr Telfer described as essential to saving lives.