Heart Beat Club for Hedland parents
As we head towards the summer school holidays, Royal Life Saving WA is encouraging all Western Australian parents and carers of children to learn vital first aid and CPR skills. Statistics show that over the past decade, in 80% of drowning cases involving children aged 0-12, it was a direct family member who discovered the drowning victim and attempted resuscitation.
Yet a recent study of 350 Western Australian parents and carers, conducted by Curtin University, has found that less than a quarter of parents surveyed had completed CPR training in the past 12 months, meaning they are potentially not adequately prepared to respond should their child drown or stop breathing. It’s recommended that CPR certificates are updated every 12 months to ensure your skills are as current as possible. This is especially important for parents and carers as they are most likely to be the first person on scene when a child is involved in a drowning incident.
As we work to assist parents and carers to learn these vital skills, Royal Life Saving WA Pilbara Development Officer Lauren Thompson recently conducted a Heart Beat Club community education session for local parents at the South Hedland Lotteries House thanks to funding from Principal Community Partner BHP. The Heart Beat Club is a community education initiative that aims to increase skills and confidence in CPR and First Aid for those caring for young children. This short training sessions covers first aid for common child injuries including burns and scalds, choking, drowning and provides information on how to perform infant and child CPR.
The recent session in Hedland was held as part of Town of Port Hedland Leisure’s Infant Aquatics Awareness Week. Swim and Survive Endorsed Swim School Coordinator Trayce Sykes initiated this educational week with the aim of providing local parents with a range of infant aquatic activities, both in and out of the water, to ensure they have basic skills needed to assist their children to enjoy the water safely.
If you’d like to take part in our Heart Beat Club sessions, or arrange one for your local community group, you can find out more at the link below.
