Dynamic duo’s quick actions saved life Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au TWO men who helped save the life of a man who collapsed after a sudden heart attack at Carrum train station have received community hero awards from Ambulance Victoria. Peter Langley-Bates, from Patterson Lakes, and Anthony Kennedy, from Frankston, immediately came to Crayton King’s aid on 27 March this year when Mr King suffered a cardiac arrest with no prior warning. Both men took turns performing CPR on Mr King until paramedics arrived. Mr Kennedy abandoned his coffee shop booth at the station to rush to Mr King’s aid. Mr Langley-Bates, a train station attendant at the time, said he called 000 before directing train passengers away from the area where Mr King was receiving help and joining Mr Kennedy to resuscitate the stricken man aged in his 60s. “By the time I got out there Anthony had actually got him on the ground and started CPR … and I was talking to the ambulance lady [on the phone] while Anthony was doing CPR … he took a break and we just tag teamed until the paramedics arrived.” Mr Langley-Bates says anyone can help if they see someone injured or in sudden strife even if they have no medical training. Instructions will be given by calling 000 and it is better than doing nothing for fear of doing the wrong thing. “The 000 operator should get credit too. She was relaying the messages about what to do,” he said.
Rates cap in place
THE state government’s council rates capping policy came into force last week after being voted through the Victorian Parliament. The policy, dubbed the Fair Go Rates policy by Labor, will be in place from the 2016-17 financial year. Councils will be unable to raise rates above a cap based on the Melbourne Consumer Price Index (CPI). Councils who wish to increase rates by more than the CPI rate will have the option to apply to the Essential Services Commission and justify the reason for the rate rise. “Our Fair Go Rates cap won’t stop councils delivering the services and facilities their local community values and needs,” Ms Hutchins said in a statement. “What it will do is improve local government accountability and transparency, and ensure councils are listening to their communities.”
Chemist robbed
All heart: Paramedic Kane Grose, left, nominated Anthony Kennedy and Peter Langley-Bates for their actions to save the life of Crayton King at Carrum train station.
Ambulance Victoria Acting CEO Tony Walker said Mr King was conscious and alert when loaded to hospital and has since recovered. “This year we recognise 13 members of the community and a workplace for their actions, which resulted in lives being saved and more positive outcomes for patients,” Mr Walker said.
“A medical emergency can occur anywhere and often when we least expect it. How we react to that emergency can depend on our willingness to step beyond our own fear and place our own comfort and safety at risk to reach out and help another human being in distress. Their actions are clearly heroic.”
Since the Awards’ inception, almost 250 community heroes have been chosen from hundreds of paramedic nominations. Mr Walker said that he hoped that others faced with a medical emergency would be inspired to take similar action should they ever find themselves in a medical emergency.
POLICE believe the man responsible for the café raids may be responsible for stealing a large quantity of perfume from the Chemist Warehouse, Florence St, Mentone, overnight Tuesday last week. CCTV footage shows a black current model Ford utility with mag wheels back up to the front door. A man used a crow bar to force open the rear car park door and fill a white cloth bag with fragrances. He drove off along Florence St. The offender is described as medium height and weight, wearing a white hoodie with black sleeves with Nike motif on the chest, black track pants and tan work boots. Anyone with information should call Kingston CIU, 9556 6565.
Action plan upgrade after plane crash, gas leak A PLANE crash in Chelsea and a gas leak from a landfill site in Heatherton have led to changes to Kingston Council’s emergency response protocols. While emergency services are the frontline responders to such incidents council officers also provide onsite and follow up help to those affected by such incidents. Council officers were among the first on the scene of a light plane crash on the corner of The Strand and Camp St in Chelsea in October last year and helped redirect traffic and provided information to arriving police and SES responders. The plane’s pilot, John Stephenson, was killed but fortunately there were no other fatalities. A council report giving an annual
update on emergency management procedures lodged at last month’s council meeting noted: “The crash highlighted a number of procedural issues concerning the safety of first responders to these types of incidents with new procedures and training rolled out to the CFA, MFB, VICPOL, VICSES and the Moorabbin Airport Corporation as a result.” Cr Paul Peulich said he had been driving near the crash site when the plane came down. “I was possibly about 30 metres from the site in my car when it happened. I heard a huge noise and bang. I didn’t know exactly what it was. I thought it was possibly an industrial accident. “To see the smoke billowing from the site was a pretty awful thing to see.”
Cr Peulich said the response from emergency services was “tremendous” and said council officers also deserved credit for their actions on the day. Since the incident council has provided more training for council officers in partnership with key emergency services personnel to ensure safety is paramount. Councillor officers deal with between 10 and 20 minor emergencies per month. The council report noted a “lack of training in emergency response” for EPA staff when elevated methane and CO2 levels were detected near Ball Rd at a Heatherton closed landfill site. Council officers worked well with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade to manage the gas leak. Neil Walker
Crash aftermath: Emergency services and police worked well together after the light plane crash in Chelsea late last year. Picture: Gary Sissons
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BLAIRGOWRIE • DROMANA • MORNINGTON • ROSEBUD • SEAFORD • TOORAK Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 9 December 2015
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