All photos kindly taken by @SergioBaartzes
Who are they, these Medical First Responders?
They’re ordinary folk – people just like you or me – but they have all successfully completed the Level Three First Aid course organised by Coastal Kindness and presented by Gardmed.
In addition, their skills and expertise are honed at regular monthly meetings at which Adrian of Gardmed provides additional training. You have only to attend a meeting to be aware of the team’s camaraderie and commitment.
To date, 28 locals have qualified as First Responders; they are in Boknes, Cannon Rocks, Klipfontein, Marselle, Ekuphumleni and, of course, Kenton. In case of, for instance, a motor vehicle accident, a fall or any other medical emergency, they are first on the scene.
Equipped with jump bags full of medical equipment, plus an AED, they will assess the scene, take control and render assistance until such time as paramedics – or a doctor – arrive.
Almost as important as their knowledge of first aid, and their experience, is their ability to get to the scene with as little delay as humanly possible. When a call comes in on the dedicated First Responder cellphone, they drop everything and hit the road. Time is of the essence!
Today we are also calling for more volunteers to join the team. You need no prior medical knowledge at all. Nor do you need to be an Einstein! Gardmed’s Adrian is an excellent trainer and we are pretty close to a 100% pass rate! And then there’s the additional training you receive afterwards.
There’s no way of knowing how often you will be called out – that’s the nature of emergencies – but it’s unlikely to be often. And it’s also comforting to know that you won’t be alone, that there’re usually two or three First Responders at a scene. And until you are confident and experienced, you would always be with someone who is both!
In addition to having your wits about you, you need to be reasonably fit. Oh, not marathon-level super fit – just able to carry a jump bag, or the smaller grabber bag, with all the medical equipment you might need. Plus the AED. And you need to be able to move fast, to get there as quickly as possible. Which also means you need to have your own transport to be an active responder.
We really need more people from, say, Bushmans, Kenton and Riversbend to answer this call.
The cost of the course is R900; everything else is provided by, and is the property of, Coastal Kindness.
The next Level Three course is in September. If you think you could serve your community in this way, please contact Patsy Bern on 083 283 4701 to book your place.
If you can’t become part of the team (perhaps you’re a holiday home owner), please consider sponsoring someone who could become a First Responder but couldn’t easily afford the course fee.
Coastal Kindness – keeping you safe!
