People are prone to hesitate when encountering emergency situations. The natural desire to help can be overridden by fear of not knowing what to do, or an inability to perform first aid functions correctly.

The fact remains however, that some emergency response intervention is better than none at all, and lives are saved every day by people with basic first aid training.

Emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time, potentially affecting family, friends, colleagues or strangers. Basic first aid skills for addressing life threatening situations are easy to learn and apply, providing capabilities on par with paramedics and other emergency response professionals, and the thanks from those whose lives are saved is the greatest reward possible.

Would you know what to do in an emergency? Here are a few first aid tips and training ideas.

1. Call 000

It’s not uncommon for paramedics to be called to a residence only to find on arrival that everyone is fine – and that’s OK. It’s all part of the job, and a paramedic would rather arrive unneeded and find everyone in good health than to be late and unable to revive a casualty.

2. Remain calm

Overly excited or hysterical people can complicate an emergency situation and potentially put themselves and others in danger.  First aid procedural steps need to be followed for the safety of everyone. You may be surprised to know that Level 1 First Aid training, also called Provide Basic Emergency Life Support (HLTAID001), can be completed in only 6 hours, providing you with the knowledge and skills for a calm and confident emergency response.

3. Start CPR immediately for addressing cardiac arrest

CPR is easy to perform, and even people who have never been trained can attempt chest compressions while being instructed over the phone by a trained professional. Unfortunately, although 26% of Australians have learnt CPR, only 4% are confident of performing the procedure correctly in a real emergency. The value of progressive first aid training for developing genuine capabilities can’t be overstated.

The window of opportunity to revive cardiac arrest victims is short, and Level 1 First Aid training will establish you as a vital link in the life saving chain. In today’s world, first aiders have access to portable defibrillators, adrenaline auto-injectors and other amazing first aid equipment specially designed for saving lives. Here are some of the impressive attainments you will gain in only one day of training.

• Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to an adult, child and infant
• Understanding the principles of automatic external defibrillation (AED)
• Responding to an unconscious person
• Airway management and artificial respiration
• Communicating with onlookers and emergency services personnel
• Addressing shock and anaphylaxis
• Management of bleeding and applying bandages
• Addressing strains, sprains and fractures

First aid procedures are easy to learn when course instructors are real heroes who save lives every day. In addition, Level 1 First Aid is a nationally accredited qualification valid for 3 years prior to the need for a short refresher course.

If you have a desire to take leadership and help people in their time of greatest need, Real Response will teach you what to do in an emergency and empower you with the best emergency response capabilities possible.

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