I am often asked which is the most appropriate 1st aid course. As always with all things medical, the answer is - it depends.
Here at Sea Kayak Argyll & Bute, we specialise in running outdoors 1st aid, to prepare people to deal with medical and accident emergencies in remote areas where help is not immediately available. The key question is - what is remote? If you are on a wild and remote beach on the Small Isles, or on the west coast of Papa Stour in the Shetlands, you cannot expect immediate help. The RNLI lifeboat or coastguard helicopter will come if you have the means to call them, but they will take time. Our outdoors courses prepares people to not only manage the immediate situation, but to sustain the casualty, providing appropriate care for a protracted period. That might be four to six hours, it might be overnight. Knowing how to appropriately package a casualty is key in the outdoors.
I stay in a small coastal village; our nearest ambulance station is only eight miles away - so we are hardly remote. Or are we? There are only two ambulances available, and one is often over the water at the major hospital. Thus if the second ambulance is already committed...then who is coming? Being remote means more than simply being in the wilds.
If you are new to 1st aid, or need to maintain a sixteen hour course for your own adventures, or as a coach or leader, then our Rescue Emergency Care (REC) Outdoor Emergency 1st aid course is ideal. Practical, pragmatic and realistic, this course exceeds the requirements for all of the National Governing Bodies: it is also great fun! If you are more experienced and wish to extend your skills, lead expeditions abroad or volunteer for rescue teams, then our REC Level 4 Advanced Course will not only give you another three year ticket, but will provide better decision making and enhanced skills. If you are a committed sea kayaker, then we also run a unique REC Level 3 Sea Kayaking 1st Aid (with extended skills). This three day course covers all of the standard syllabus, but enhances the skill set with specific sea kayaking injuries such as wrist taping, immersion hypothermia and other relevant injuries.
All workplaces are required to have appropriate 1st aid cover at their premises, and with the Health & Safety Executive pulling out of 1st aid, it is now up to the business owner to ensure that they have the appropriate cover in place. If you work in a low risk setting, then the one day Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course is ideal. For higher risk locations such as garages, forestry, workshops, the three day First Aid at Work (FAW) is more appropriate.
All of our courses include CPR and defibrillator (AED) training. We can provide a no cost assessment of your premises and recommend the most appropriate level of course if required.