When we arrived at Eastleigh college for our class it was overcast, grey, cold and miserable, but the day was instantly brightened up by the parking attendant who decided that, even though we didn't have our names on his list, he would still allow us to park in the college car park, which we are sure isn't a courtesy just extended to anyone (or at least that's what we told ourselves!)
Once inside the vast labyrinth of the College we were sent to find the correct room. Imagine our excitement when we arrived to find it decked out with airplane seats! Alas, we soon realised that we had been sent to the wrong place and had to traipse all the way back to Reception to find out where we were really meant to be. Eventually we arrived at the correct room to be greeted by the smiling face of our trainer Dave and the rest of the group we were to train with, and this is where the fun starts!
First call of the day, registration and an intro from Dave - and it would seem that we were in the midst of a superstar, because whilst he is an ex-paramedic, he used to be an official adviser on the cast of the BBC's Casualty (and this wasn't the last time he dropped that into the discussions) and had even appeared as an extra in an episode or two!! (OK, we admit to being very impressed with that!) Then in true 'first day' tradition we went round the rest of the group to introduce ourselves and find out why we were all attending a First Aid course – but as nice as everyone was, there was no-one near as impressive as Dave!
The morning passed in a whir of CPR, Resusci-Sally, Chest compressions, Heimlich Manoeuvres and bandages, and before we knew it we were heading to the canteen for lunch (which was an experience in itself, but we shan't go into that now!)
After lunch, we were back in the classroom and it was assessment time. We were split into two groups and not only were our First Aid skills put to the test, but our acting skills as well. Whilst one group faked cuts, broken bones and general accidents (with some quite convincing back stories might we add!), the other group had to attend to the patient and administer the correct form of first aid. Once we had each taken a turn on the various casualties, it was time to swop and let the other team take on the roles of first aider.
After ‘Doctors and Nurses’ it was time for a quick read through of the booklets Dave had given us. He then informed us that we had all passed and would receive our certificates in the post (which, if you are ever visiting Idealogy HQ, make sure you ask to see them, hanging with pride, in the basement kitchen) and we were once again regaled with tales of his experiences on Casualty!
First aid may be an H&S necessity but it doesn’t need to be boring! We may have had a laugh and enjoyed the session, but it was this unique way of working that made sure we knew what needed to be done if anything ever happened to anyone in our business, or even anyone we know. And it’s all thanks to the man from Casualty (the TV show, not A&E)!
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