Staying Alive!
Tim Watts and Sally Smith from the local St John Ambulance network hosted a short awareness session for volunteers from Open Door, Warminster and Warminster Action Group.
The session ran through the essential considerations when confronted with someone in a life-threatening condition. This included finding out what is wrong, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, using an automatic external defibrillator, controlling severe bleeding, helping someone who is choking and using the recovery position.
Tim said: “hopefully you won’t need these emergency first aid skills, but, in a life-threatening situation, a casualty’s chances of survival are greatly increased if the first people on the scene know and use a few simple skills. Our vision at John Ambulance is that everyone can get the emergency first aid they need from the people around them. These free awareness sessions help to give people the confidence to stay calm and intervene.”
The volunteers enjoyed trying CPR using the ‘Annie’ mannequins, focusing on a memorable rhythm to the tune of Staying Alive! There was also a chance to use an automatic defibrillator, which speaks to you, calmly guiding you through the various steps – so even someone with no experience could use it. The group discussion was lively covering the differences between responding to a scenario involving an adult and a young child or infant and the important difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest.
Deborah Gogarty, Chair of Health and Wellbeing Warminster, said: “Today was a great example of two charities coming together to share resources. Often small volunteer-led charities struggle to organise these things on their own, so doubling up makes perfect sense all round.”
St John Ambulance are happy to do more of these sessions locally. Contact tim.watts@sja.org.uk or visit www.sja.org.uk
Images in title: Ray Emms and Sally Smith / Tim Watts and Sally Smith
