RSSHow to Save Someone’s Life
January 18, 2007 · Written by Adam
I was stunned recently to discover the ten other people around the same table as me for dinner couldn’t save someone’s life. I don’t mean the heroic ‘pushing someone out of the way of a bus’ sort of way, but basic first aid and CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation). It’s amazing that people just don’t know these skills in an age where you can get a trainer come to your place of work if you can’t get to a course elsewhere. In the ‘information age’ where news is instantaneous (or so I’m told) and you can watch videos of first aid on the internet, then why doesn’t everybody know how to do it?
The answer is probably laziness and lack of time, but in my job I’ve spoken to two people in the last week who have saved someone’s life by being in the right place at the right time - one was having a sedate game of crown green bowling when a man collapsed! The feeling they got from saving the person’s life wasn’t one of heroism but relief and thankfulness that they had the necessary skills to do it.
So why not learn those skills yourself? The British Red Cross runs courses, you can even type in your postcode to see where they do them near you. Go here to find the Red Cross or Red Crescent in your country. Or you can learn yourself. There is an online shop on the site where you can buy a book on first aid complete with the new CPR protocols - oh yes, they update and change things all the time, tourniquets to stop bleeding are now considered dangerous for example.
So why not save someone’s life? You could never need the skills but you just might.
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I saw someone get run over once, I didn’t have a clue what to do. With 5 people already in attendance and another 10 on the phone (even the handy nearby phone boxes were full) I did what any self-respecting member of the public would do - carried on and ate my lunch.
You’re a disgrace
His umbrella got totally knackered as well…
Why don’t they offer the course on video online for free as a public safety service. That might do the trick.
Not sure why they don’t, it’s could be due to the cost of putting it up there, it’s not a bad idea though - you could email them and ask? You could make a donation before you view it or something. Think you can get a free video but maybe they prefer doing the training in person.