My wife and her friend were driving along a local road. As they passed over the crest of a hill they were suddenly witness to a terrifying car accident as a speeding car, coming the other way, ploughed into the back of a stationary cement truck.  A morning drive had now put them at the scene of a potentially fatal traffic accident.

There was an eerie silence. Only the hissing coming from the car’s bonnet could be heard. It dawned on them they would need to deal with this situation. They moved towards the crushed car with trepidation, not knowing what they would find when they looked into the driver’s side broken window.

They were now faced with two lifeless passengers inside a steaming car…….
There were no other witnesses and no one else to come to their aid…….

Would you know what to do in this situation?

Some of us think we probably have a good enough understanding of First Aid, however in a situation like this, the decisions you make can have a huge impact on the outcome and at the extreme can be the difference between life and death.
Moving a person with a spinal injury could paralyse them for life.
A victim with an arterial bleed literally only has minutes to live, but you could easily save them….would you know how?

The good news is that every day, First Aid skills help otherwise ordinary people achieve the extraordinary: THEY SAVE LIVES!

Apart from being able to help someone in a life threatening situation such as the one above, there are many other ways that First Aid training can benefit your everyday life.  People who have completed First Aid training are able to:

• Think clearly and act quickly if they are faced with an emergency situation such as a car accident.
• They are more aware of potential hazards and how to avoid them.
• They can provide better care for loved ones as they are trained to handle a multitude of situations from minor cuts and burns to life threatening situations such as choking or drowning.
• First Aid can be invaluable in other situations such as: sporting events, camping & hiking, water and beach safety, looking after children, and many other aspects of everyday life!
• In addition, completing First Aid training can impress existing and potential employers as it shows you have the initiative and drive to develop your own skills and care for others.
  Plus all workplaces need trained First Aiders on site.

At Catch Training, our one day Provide First Aid Course (HLTAID011) covers subjects such as:

• Provide CPR (HLTAID009) – Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• Responding to an emergency
• Lifting and moving injured persons
• Management of chest pains including heart attacks
• Fractures, breaks and dislocations
• Concussions, strokes and seizures
• Minor and major burns and scalds
• Spinal and head injuries
• Asthma and allergic reactions
• Bleeding, internal and external injuries
• How to apply bandages
• Choking in adults, children and infants
• Severed limbs
• Poisons
• How to treat bites, stings, heatstroke and other Australian summer hazards!

The story continued……

My wife, after checking for potential DANGER, then tried to arouse a RESPONSE from the passenger. She then got her friend to SEND for help by dialling 112 / 000 from her mobile phone to alert emergency services to the accident. Meanwhile, proceeded to check AIRWAY and BREATHING of the passenger who was now starting to rouse. So there was no need for CPR or DEFIBRILLATION

The driver came to and was able to walk away from the car and was comforted while he waited for services to arrive. Within minutes emergency services arrived and were able to take both the driver and passenger to the hospital for further treatment.

If you would like to find out more about First Aid training please visit https://www.catch.nsw.edu.au/course_category/first-aid/ or call Catch training on 02 8007 3427.

Also, be sure to check out our Free First AID Printables including DRSABCD – Basic Life Support poster and Emergency Contact Numbers here https://www.catch.nsw.edu.au/first-aid-downloads/

Chris Young
Catch CEO