Dominicans are being urged to equip themselves with first aid techniques in the wake of a devastating earthquake which left thousands dead and countless others injured in the Caribbean island of Haiti last week.
Magistrate Gloria Augustus, who is also a representative of the St. John’s Association of Dominica, is encouraging Dominicans to take advantage of free one-day first aid programmes currently being held around the island.
“Particularly as we have those tremors and seeing what happen in Haiti, it’s really good for persons to get first aid training because that’s what prepares you as to what to do when medical services are not available, or you have to wait long, or you are unable to get any further medical help,” Augustus told Dominica News Online.
According to Augustus, money was received via a project funded by the German Foreign Office. Under that project, eight Caribbean countries, including Dominica, received funds for first aid projects.
Dominica’s project, which started in September 2009 and ends in December this year, aims to train 1,800 persons in first aid.
“Free one day first aid training would be given to persons within communities and organisations and the maximum number of persons to be trained at one time would be 15 to 20. Persons do not have to pay…they just have to be prepared to come for one day to get that training,” Augustus told DNO.
Meanwhile, she said interested persons could get involved particularly through their churches, village councils and other organisations. The trainer for the program, Renwick Clarke, can be contacted at telephone number 225 1898.
All persons who complete the training will receive a first aid reference guide and a certificate. Persons wanting to do much longer courses can also contact the association. The course is opened to all age groups.
The St John’s Association of Dominica is part of an international organization, the St. John’s Ambulance or the Order of St. John, and was registered in Dominica in 2002. The Order of St John operates in over 40 countries over the world under the leadership of the Queen of England.
One of the main aims of the St John’s Association of Dominica is to provide first aid services to persons in Dominica.
I agree too many Dominicans dunno how to dress a bo-bo, or what to do when there neighbour drink too much rum and pass out. Carnival coming, Dominicans should learn first aid, just in case you or your bom partners over-jump, over-wine, over-drink and over-siwo, or collect a kool bouteille…..You never know when first aid skills can come in handy….and you can use de CPR mouth to mouth as an excuse to kiss somebody……
TO SUPERSAVER:
Just to enlighten you, it is an error on your part to think that Dominican Police Officers do not have first aid training. WE DO!! IT IS PART OF OUR TRAINING AT THE POLICE TRAINING SCHOOL AT MORNE BRUCE with exams and all!! Every police officer as well as Fire Officer knows first aid and CPR. The sad thing is that “refresher” courses as they are called, are not conducted annually as should be done, therefore the onus is on the officer in question to do that on their own.
FYI, the police force has its own paramedics to deal with matters inside the police force.
Some police officers will say they cannot, probably because they do not want the “responsibility” to be on them in an emergency which is understandable because when I was a woman police constable, for example, I did not let the public know that I was trained in rescue swimming because I do not want to be one of the first ones to be sent into stormy waters…. again some police officers claim they cannot iron their own clothes, when we are trained to do it almost professionally for daily muster parade and inspection on training. Go figure!!
well said and done . We need to be eqip to deal with any disaster in terms of training, haiti is aeye opening. all busssines houses should have a couple of employees to be trained as first Aider. .
Dominica also need to have health and saftey laws implemented. Wwnnhen i last visited Dominica i saw many instance where health and safty matter was a concern and people life was at stake, I would appricate if the apporiate authority woul take heed
Great idea..everybody should have the basic first aid knowledge. cpr, heimlich etc these should even be taught in schools, boy scout and every group and yes i agee with Super Saver our police/fire officers should know first aid
I think thats an excellent idea.. because every body should at least have the basics..I have asked about that before now ,and it is a shame that especially our Policemen and Policewomen have no knowledge of basic first aid..In other countries policeofficers and firefighters have first aid/medical training because since they are always the first on an accident or emergency scene so i think police,fire, and ambulance worker or emt should take a course in first aid.. So miss Augustus that the best idea that any Dominican could ever come up with especially if the financials are there.
I think this is an excellent idea. The first aid training might come in handy some time down the road. Thank God we were spared of any injuires or fatalities when they quake happened in Portsmouth a few years ago, next time we may not be so blessed.