Victoria's Hilarious New Campaign Asks: Do You Live with a Paramedic?

St John Ambulance Victoria has rolled out a new awareness campaign called Do You Live with a Paramedic? The initiative aims to highlight the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest while encouraging households to keep defibrillators on hand. Using humour, the campaign delivers a message that could save lives when every second counts.

The campaign centres on a series of skits featuring an awkward paramedic housemate who tags along on everyday activities. The comedic approach asks viewers one key question: Do you live with a paramedic? If the answer is no, the message is clear—get a defibrillator.

Sudden cardiac arrest leaves victims with just 10 minutes to receive life-saving treatment before survival becomes unlikely. Yet in Victoria, the average ambulance response time stretches to 15 minutes. This gap makes home defibrillators critical, especially since 78% of cardiac arrests happen at home. Emma Klinakis, Marketing and Community Manager at St John Ambulance Victoria, stressed the need for quick access to defibrillators. Brendan Day, Executive Creative Director at Town Square, explained that humour was chosen to keep audiences engaged while driving home a serious point. The goal is to ensure more people recognise the importance of having a defibrillator within reach.

The campaign pushes for wider defibrillator availability in Victorian homes. With most cardiac arrests occurring at home and ambulances often arriving too late, the initiative urges residents to take action. A defibrillator on hand could mean the difference between life and death in those crucial first minutes.