Do you have a current first aid certificate and a phone?
There's a great system called GoodSAM (www.goodsamapp.org...) which works on android, IOS, and just a normal feature phone (ie. a dumb phone). I've been using it for about a month, and it's one of the more sensible uses of technology I've seen in some time.
Once you register with GoodSAM (which requires you to send a copy of your first aid certificate so that they can confirm it's valid), you just get on with your life as normal, and they track you through your phone.
When someone near you calls an ambulance, you get an alert on your phone. If you accept the alert, you are given directions to the casualty, and you help them until the ambulance gets there. If two people accept the alert, the first one gets directions to the casualty, and the second gets directions to the nearest defibrillator, and then to the casualty.
There are very few people (five, so far) registered in and around Whangarei. Obviously, the system will be more useful if more people register. I've had two alerts so far, and the ambulance beat me to the scene both times, which I find quite reassuring.
Other than being a registered user of the app, I have no direct link with the organisation, but I would like to see it succeed as I think it's a great idea.
If you're nervous about the idea of actually having to use your first aid, remember that you'll probably only be there for a few minutes before the ambulance arrives, and the first few minutes can be the difference between someone surviving and dying. Please, if you've got a certificate, consider registering - you might be able to help someone.
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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53.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.6% Critical thinking
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29.1% Resilience and adaptability
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2.6% Other - I will share below!
Whangarei Aglow Meeting
Please join us for an inspiring massage from Pastor Geoff Wiklund, 7 pm Tikipunga Baptist Church, 25th of February!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
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