As of 1 June, the Emergency Services Blood Challenge has officially launched.
Lifeblood figures show only one in 30 Australians donate but one in three Australians require blood products at some point in their lives.
Phil Greenbank, Brigade Community Education Coordinator at Creswick Fire Brigade, took part in the challenge last year and said he’s already registered for this year.
“Because I do the Emergency Services Blood Challenge each year, instead of me having to register, Lifeblood have me set up so that I am automatically registered each year.
“One of the big issues that Lifeblood has is having regular donors. There is constant recruitment required to get new donors to help build up the numbers each week.
“I donate fortnightly, and for me it’s knowing that what I donate is helping between one to 17 recipients at any one time.
“This year in February, I past my next milestone of 525 donations and it has been calculated that I may have helped over 7000 recipients based on what the donations are used for.
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Locky Nicholson is a member of Wodonga Fire Brigade and has been donating for 12 months.
“Registering was super easy; you can do it all online,” Locky said.
“The website asks you if you want to register with a group so you simply select The Country Fire Authority.”
Donated blood lasts just 42 days, which is why donating regularly is so important.
“I’ve been donating whole blood every three months, and will be taking part in this year’s challenge.
“I donate because it’s an easy way to help people and I know not enough people do it. I’d encourage anyone who can to donate, you never know if you’re going to need it yourself.”
In Australia, one blood donation is needed every 24 seconds.
Last year nearly 900 donations were received from CFA members, so let's see if we can beat that this year.
You can check the Emergency Services Blood Challenge results tally on the Lifeblood website.
It's important that every donor makes their donation count…
- Ring 13 14 95 or go online to make a blood donation appointment for between 1 June - 31 August.
- Join Lifeblood Team: Country Fire Authority here, or in the donor centre, to ensure your donation is added to the universities tally.
Author: Holly Penketh