First Aid & Health
Guidance and Tips
Ouch! ... How many times have you heard of someone spraining their ankle simply by stepping off the gutter, or tripping down the stairs? It's surprisingly common in our urban environment where it's easy to hop a taxi to the nearest Medical Centre or call an Ambo for serious stuff.
Out in the wild places that we love it's not so easy!
That's why it's important to travel in a group in the bush and to have good First Aid training. These notes below are not intended to be a replacement for a First Aid course, but rather to refresh your memory or fill in some gaps.
First Aid Subsidies
The Club
acknowledges the importance of first aid skills and knowledge for members
participating in, or leading, club activities.
To support and promote the completion of formal first aid qualifications
by members and leaders, the Club provides the following financial incentives:
Members - The Club will
reimburse the cost of a two-day first aid certificate, such as Apply First Aid,
for members who are very active in the Club.
Very active members are defined as those who have undertaken a minimum
of ten programmed activity days in previous 12 months.
Leaders - The Club will reimburse:
- a. The cost of a basic first aid
certificate, such as Apply First Aid, or the cost of a one-day
re-certification, for activity leaders.
Leaders are defined as members who have led a minimum of one trip in the
previous 12 months and have submitted a trip for the next program.
Funds are available to reimburse up to 15 such leaders in any one year.
- b. The cost of a two-day remote area
first aid certificate, such as Remote Area First Aid (RAFA), for leaders who
run remote area trips. Note that the pre-requisite for RAFA is a current
certificate in Apply First Aid.
- Funds are available to reimburse up to three such leaders in any one year.
Members and leaders
who wish to claim reimbursement should keep a copy of their course registration
and results and send an electronic copy to treasurer@sbw.org.au and Skills Enhancement Secretary skillenhancement@sbw.org.au.
There are several courses designed specifically with Bushwalkers and the natural environment in mind, these include:
Bushwalkers
Wilderness Rescue Squad
BWRS run a number of first
aid courses especially tailored to the needs of bushwalkers and rescue
personnel. Upcoming courses include:
Course: Apply Basic First Aid (formerly Senior
First Aid)
Dates: 5 November 2011 (plus pre-course
work)
Location: Leichhardt
OR
Course: Remote
Area First Aid (RAFA) (over 4 days = 2 weekends)
Dates: TBC (www.bwrs.org.au for details)
Location: TBC
On
completion of the RAFA, successful graduates will have a complete understanding
of the principles and limitations of Remote Area First Aid. They will have the ability to improvise,
adapt and overcome most difficulties in hostile environments.
Three
certificates will be awarded to successful graduates. That’s three qualifications for the price of
one, issued by Corporate Training Solutions (Registered Training Organisation).
- Apply Basic
First Aid (formally Senior First Aid)
- Apply Advanced
First Aid
- Apply First Aid
in a Remote Area Situation
St John Ambulance NSW
St John Ambulance runs a
range of first aid certificate courses including:
- Apply Basic
First Aid (formerly Senior First Aid)
- Apply Advanced
First Aid
- Remote Area
First Aid (2 days)
Some courses can be
completed on-line (with face to face assessments).
For enquiries and registrations go to http://www.stjohnnsw.com.au/train_intro.html
Red Cross
The Red Cross is a large
provider of first aid training, including on-line courses (with face to face
assessments).
For enquiries and
registrations go to http://www.redcross.org.au/ourservices.