This month members of the Market Harborough WI spent their monthly meeting learning about First Aid. Well, that was the plan…

Rupesh Chauhan from the British Red Cross started the evening going through the basics of what to do as a first person on the scene – from calling 999, checking that the location is safe before assisting someone and trying to get a response from a person all the way to the recovery position and giving CPR to the rythm of a helpfull song (‘Staying Alive’ being one of the most knows, but options include ‘Nelly the Elephant’, ‘Pink Pony Club’ or indeed ‘Another One Bites The Dust’. One wonders who came up with that one…).

This was followed by a demonstration of how a defibulator works and how use it. Useful to know: It actually talks the user through the instructions – goof proof as Rupesh said!

The evening really took off when Rupesh opened the floor to questions. Members asked his advice on a whole range of emergencies they were concerned about. How to spot a stroke or heart attack, what to do if someone has an epileptic fit or a severe allergic reaction, how to help someone that has an asthma attack but no inhaler, the best first aid for burns and how first aid differs depending on whether one is dealing with a baby, a young person or an adult. Rupesh faced the barrage with good humour and an encyclopedic knowledge.

He also gave us two other useful tips: To help emergency services find a specific location the app ‘What3Words’ can pinpoint a place of within one square meter. It can be downloaded here: Download the free what3words app | what3words. It is not just used by the emergency services, but anyone from delivery companies to utility providers use it to find difficult to locate places, so may come in very handy out in the countryside.

The other App Rupesh recommended is the British Red Cross First Aid App: It is free to download and provides clear instructions on what to do in all sorts of emergency situations.

All in all a very informative evening with plenty of information to process.

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