Remote first aid
I’m sitting in the front seat of the vehicle screaming, blood streaming down my leg and what appears to be bone is sticking out from my jeans. Looking over my shoulder I see (AG editor) Ian in the back seat, holding his neck and looking very worried. David is on the floor next to him moaning and holding his stomach. Someone is shouting and a door is flung open as our driver, unconscious and a worrying shade of blue, is wrenched from the car.
This sounds horrific, but it is, in fact, just a scenario played out as part of our two-day Remote First Aid course with Red Cross Australia.
The group, including AG and 4×4 Magazine staffers, along with some Red Cross trainers, braved the rain and cold to experience, first hand, the new course. Having completed the Senior First Aid course (a prerequisite for the Remote First Aid course) only recently, I was a bit surprised when the note came through reminding us to wear comfy clothes that could get dirty and covered in fake blood – not something I usually associate with a training course.
It might sound a bit silly, but the addition of scenarios (at one stage complete with leeches) added a realism and urgency to the practical components of the course. It made all of us really stop and think about how we would cope in the event of an accident in a remote situation.
We take for granted the presence of medical assistance close by and rarely think about situations that may arise while out in the bush. Often we take the “she’ll be right mate” approach to preparation before setting off – be it for an afternoon bush walk in the national park or a week-long camping trip into the outback.
I know after taking the course I will become, as Margot our trainer put it, a “preparation nerd”. Before I step foot in the adventure car for my next trip bush I’ll be making sure that the first aid kit is up to scratch and the communications and trip plan are in place.
For more information
Red Cross
First Aid courses by Red Cross
