More than a ‘tick in the box’: First Aid matters
Having spent many years in customer service, account management and administrative roles, I can understand why some businesses are inclined to view First Aid training as a mere compliance obligation; a task to be marked in the diary, or checked off the list. But for the thousands of Australians affected by medical emergencies every year, it becomes so much more.
Last year, a client came to me with a story that reaffirmed my belief in the power of quality First Aid training and, more broadly, in our role as industry leaders to protect Australian businesses and the communities that support them.
The client in question, who at the time managed a successful childcare centre in the Sydney metropolitan area, had only recently completed her annual CPR refresher training when she was called upon to perform First Aid in real life for the first time.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the early morning drop-off, my client noticed an elderly gentleman, a beloved grandfather of one of her charges slumped against a wall, clutching fervently at his chest before collapsing to the ground unresponsive. It didn’t take long for the pair to assess that he might be
experiencing a Cardiac Arrest. So without hesitation, they sprang into action; placing an all-important call to emergency services while taking turns to perform CPR on the man.
Eight minutes later, ambulance officers arrived on the scene, applying defibrillation on the spot before whisking the him away for treatment at a nearby hospital.
Having never been called upon to perform First Aid in a real world setting myself, the story served as a timely reminder about the very real, tangible impact of what we teach in our training rooms every day. And what businesses are really investing in when they book their staff in for First Aid training led by experienced nurses and paramedics.
Thankfully, the gentleman survived. But what might have happened had my client and her colleague hesitated in the moment, forgotten a critical step, or worse, never received any kind of First Aid training in the first place?
While I would never wish a First Aid emergency on anyone, no matter how prepared they may be, it’s experiences like these that turn First Aid training clients into First Aid training advocates. And I speak for my colleagues when I say that we hope to inspire a lot more of them.
Have you ever been called upon to perform CPR? Email your First Aid success story to [email protected], or get in touch via our Facebook page.