St John Ambulance SA has been awarded a $600,000 grant from Masonic Charities SA & NT to train 6000 people over three years in lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

St John chief executive Mark Groote said CPR was a matter of life and death and a skill that everyone should have.

“The key statistic is that in Australia only 10 per cent of people survive a cardiac arrest but the survival rate doubles if people know CPR,” Mr Groote said.

“We are very pleased to have this partnership with the Freemasons and very grateful for their support.”

The training, which includes instruction on using a defibrillator and a free first aid kit, is being provided at St John training centres and Freemasons lodges.

Mr Groote said it made good sense for businesses, sporting clubs, schools and churches to have defibrillators close by.

While COVID had made all St John training programs “a little more difficult”, he said paid first aid courses for essential services had resumed and already 600 people had been trained in CPR for free.

To attend a free CPR training session, call St John Ambulance on 1300 785 646. For more information visit www.stjohnsa.com.au/training