First Aid

[Gareth Dalzell]

Everyone of our staff have their first aid cert and we refresh every two years. In the last year I've had one of my team take a seisure and nearly choke on his tongue until I got him into the recovery position (totally white/blue colour and foaming) and then at easter in a pub an elderly lady clutching at her throat about to collapse and her son came running in looking for help and I did chest thrust until she popped up a chunk of steak and some goo.

Life really is very delicate and disappears all to easy sometimes. I rather be able to say I had a go than wish I could!

 

Also from a selfish point of view as the boss and the one most likely to have a strees induced heart attack, its good to know if my guys want a pay cheque on Friday that they can give me a snog (CPR) and hopefully keep me alive until the ambulance arrives!

Edited June 28, 2010 by Gareth Dalzell

[scuff]

have to keep first aid up to date due to fire service commitments, have come across some horrid stuff but as folk have said previous keep calm and remember the basics. Have been given some good stuff ideal for any first aid kit from an ex sbs commando who is a fellow retained fireman. 1. a c.a.t tourniquet, easy to put on can be done one handed, (only to be used for catestrophic bleeds) which lets face it chainsaws dont muck about. 2. an israeli bandage, excellent bit of kit, large wound pad and an elastic wrap keeps even wound pressure. both items are cheap enough and better than most of the rubish found in the average first aid kit. Hope this is helpfull.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I think general first aid is sufficient. First aid is, after all, about ABC not patch up. Very few places in the SE are inaccessable to the emergency services so they can usually arrive in pretty short order. First aid combined with good aerial rescue skills are more than adequate, IMO. Continuous training and a proper WAH assessment should mitigate against injuries severe enough to warrant either first aid or aerial rescue.

 

 

That is known as tempting fate, say what you like but its ALWAYS best to be prepared.

 

sorry to hear that chris, hows he doing?

[jamesw]

As an ex Royal Navy Medic with Afghan and Iraq tours under my belt i think that basic FA is essential not only to our work but everyday lives! When i taught first aid i always reminded people that they were more likely to use these skills on people they know and care about. The worst i have come across is when i worked for my LA they were adament they wern't going to train anyone in the tree gang???? What a joke:thumbdown:

[Stuart A-C]

I have recently just completed my first aid training for the lifeboat. It was 2 courses, uk search and rescue level 3 intermediate casualty care, and Maritime and coastal agency emergency first aid cert. We get check cards that you work to and is fool proof once you have been trained to use the cards, I keep a copy in the first aid kit at work. The course itself was highly graphic and very intense (1 week, 8am to 7.30pm) and is the same level that they train 'first response' paramedic's to. It was quite surprising at how similar a lot of the injuries that can be sustaned at sea, could be put into our line of work.

[chris cnc]

That is known as tempting fate, say what you like but its ALWAYS best to be prepared.

 

sorry to hear that chris, hows he doing?

 

thanks for asking, he's going through the usual tests tests tests, until the results nothings certain but apparently it was a "small stroke"...

 

he's hard enough though... he had a stroke and didn't call anyone for around two hours... cos he wanted to watch the england match!

 

they dont make em like they used to.

 

[chris cnc]

I have recently just completed my first aid training for the lifeboat. It was 2 courses, uk search and rescue level 3 intermediate casualty care, and Maritime and coastal agency emergency first aid cert. We get check cards that you work to and is fool proof once you have been trained to use the cards, I keep a copy in the first aid kit at work. The course itself was highly graphic and very intense (1 week, 8am to 7.30pm) and is the same level that they train 'first response' paramedic's to. It was quite surprising at how similar a lot of the injuries that can be sustaned at sea, could be put into our line of work.

 

any more info on these cards?

 

cards that you carry around as part of your kit, or did you just use them during training?

 

cheers

[Stuart A-C]

the cards are carried by crew and used on any incident where first aid is required. I will have to check if I can post them up here, as the rnli are quite strict on who uses published material.

[Bob Slade]

i did an advanced first aid course in 1977 when i was in the army and have kept up to date ever since. one of the first thngs they taught was, LOOK, LISTEN, THINK, ACT. look around the accident site, listen to what anyone who saw the incident says, think about what you are going to do, then act on it. this gives you time to gather information and prepare yourself. It has helped me on several occations. hope this helps you.