Trainers commended at annual seminar
Community Trainers from around the state gathered recently for the Royal Life Saving WA 2019 Trainers’ Seminar. After the success of last year’s inaugural event, the seminar is now an annual feature in the trainers’ calendar, offering a forum for them to share their ideas and experiences with one another.
42 trainers gathered at the Mount Claremont head office to listen to guest speaker presentations, quiz a panel of expert trainers in an open Q&A session, and participate in team activities with their colleagues.
Royal Life Saving WA CEO Peter Leaversuch opened the event with a passionate address about the organisation’s vision and values, commending the trainers for all their work in supporting and furthering the organisation’s cause.
“This year, for Royal Life Saving, we’ve reached the half way mark of our strategic plan, which includes several goals. One though, that is most important, is to expand and support our network of local trainers – local champions, best placed to harness local knowledge and local priorities. You are the most important part of the broader society, the people who are at the front making sure that our community learns these vital skills,” he said.
Guest speakers delivered a variety of topics, the first being a presentation on diabetes by Sheryl Moore from Diabetes WA. Matthew Merritt from Emergency First Response Training and Consulting then invited the trainers to take part in a short quiz before speaking about the differences between heart attack and cardiac arrest.
Clinical nurse consultants from Fiona Stanley Hospital rounded out the presentations, with Sharon Rowe – a burns specialist working alongside the Fiona Wood Foundation – providing an informative presentation on burns first aid and early management, and Terri Williams discussing the management of allergies and anaphylaxis.
A number of awards were handed out to long-serving trainers at the conclusion of the event, to recognise their years of service delivering vital lifesaving skills to the community.
Read more about the trainers who received accolades here.
It was a great day of learning, sharing and team building – a big thanks to the trainers who attended as well as our fantastic guest speakers!
If you're interested in becoming a Community Trainer to provide valuable first aid or aquatic rescue skills to the WA community, find out more at the link below.
