Advanced training for Christmas Island fire and rescue services

Royal Life Saving WA Trainer Leanne Coverley-Brandis recently travelled to Christmas Island, which lies in the Indian Ocean around 1500km off the WA coast, to deliver important first aid training to some of the island’s vital services.

Leanne provided advanced CPR training, advanced first aid training, as well as a specialised first aid course for carers and educators. She said the training was “beneficial to them as it was primarily the volunteer fire brigade and ambulance, and they wouldn’t have the opportunity for this training otherwise.”

The Christmas Island Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services unit assists the community with activities including firefighting efforts, search and rescue operations, cyclone and flood response, and short-term repairs to storm damage. It is important that volunteers within the service have the appropriate training and ability to respond during emergency situations.

The HLTAID014 Provide Advanced First Aid course, which builds on the skills and knowledge of basic first aid training, was completed by 11 participants from the island. The course includes a pre-reading and a knowledge assessment component, followed by a two-day practical component for face-to-face training and assessment.

A group of 16 participants completed the HLTAID015 Provide Advanced Resuscitation and Oxygen Therapy course, which teaches the skills and knowledge required to use specialised oxygen equipment in the provision of oxygen resuscitation. The course also covers the use of tourniquets and haemostatic dressings for the management of life-threatening bleeding.

The final course delivered by Leanne was the HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting, which was completed by seven participants. The course, which is aimed at educators and childcare workers, focuses on first aid response in an education and care setting. It provides staff with the knowledge and skills to respond to first aid emergencies including asthmatic and anaphylactic emergencies.

Royal Life Saving WA provides regular training services to the Christmas Island community, which also includes annual Pool Lifeguard training for recreation centre staff and local high school students.

Learn more about our range of first aid, CPR and aquatic training courses at the link below (RTO Code 0854)