A mother and former paramedic has revealed the one life-saving thing someone calling triple-zero must do before the ambulance arrives.
Mother-of-three Nikki Jurcutz, who worked as a paramedic with Ambulance Victoria for eight years, explained that unlocking the front door can save precious seconds during an emergency.
The simple action allows emergency responders to enter a home upon arrival instead of having to wait for someone to let them in.
The tip may also save the life of a loved one.
Ms. Jurcutz and her sister Rach are co-founders of Tiny Hearts Education, an organization that provides first aid and CPR courses to save the lives of children.
Former paramedic Nikki Jurcutz (pictured) urged Australians to unlock their front doors after Triple-Zero so paramedics could get in quickly
Ms Jurcutz shared a TikTok video to demonstrate the life-saving tip which can ‘save you precious seconds as you wait for an ambulance at home’.
“If there is an emergency at home and you need to call Triple-Zero, quickly walk past your front door and open it,” the caption read.
“So when the paramedics arrive, they can go through right away and you don’t have to stop the first aid you’re giving your child to open the door.”
Ms. Jurcutz demonstrated the timing difference between quickly unlocking the door and letting paramedics in while they wait outside.
She also performed CPR on an educational doll of a child to show that unlocking the front door also means leaving a child alone during an emergency.
The video has since been viewed more than 400,000 times.
‘Best advice. We did this when our son was a week old. It was about six minutes from the time we called to the time they arrived and they ran right into our house,” one mother noted.
Another viewer added: ‘My uncle had a stroke and called triple-0. Even though he couldn’t use one entire side of his body, he crawled to the door with a command to unlock it for the paramedics. I didn’t think so, he did well.’
Some shared their own advice, including “lock the animals up… and turn on the porch light.”
“I’m surprised most call takers never talk about it,” one viewer wrote
The mother of three explained that simple things can help save ‘precious seconds’ as they try to save a child’s life
Unlocking the front door is one of ten recommendations from Ambulance Victoria to help paramedics deliver the best possible care.
Those who call Triple-Zero are also urged to clearly number the home or business where paramedics are needed, provide the patient’s medical history and ensure everyone on site is safe.
If you call at night, Ambulance Victoria suggests leaving a light on and having someone waiting by the roadside to escort him to the scene of the accident.
Any pets must also be confined.
Speaking on an episode of Paramedics TV, paramedic Leonard said clearly describing where an incident occurs and completing as many other steps as possible will help.
“Seconds or even minutes can be lost trying to find an address if there is not clear numbering that is visible day and night,” Leonard said.
“Over time, that numbering can fade or be obscured by trees, making our job much more difficult.”