Heart massage (CPR) by Vinnie Jones

[Blaze]

I've just done 5 days as an SNSM Aide Formateur for the first part of the team first aid course PSE1 (state diploma as practised by the pompiers).
Brilliant experience (and good revision !), look forward to the next part (PSE2) in January (relevages and brancardage etc).

Among some of the videos that were shown, there was this one by Vinnie Jones which is brilliant, simple gestures that could save a life :

[Pathca]

Also know the location of your nearest community defibrillator

[MAD87]

Great, although I've alreaady been instructed - this should be a sticky if possible.
Good point re the defibrillator - our is on a wall outside the mairie.

[Blaze]

Having access to a defibrillator is ideal - some shops have them, as do (or should) all sports halls, schools and public buildings in France. Sadly we see quite a few showing they haven't been replaced after use (battery, patches or whatever) for one reason or another. It's the communes that decide how much will be spent on them : some will buy a defib with a maintenance contract, others don't, and those who buy several for a large commune with a town are sometimes reluctant to spend the money : maintaining say 8 or 10 defibs a year costs money ... A local village defib have a set of patches for an adult but not for a baby, others don't maintain them and if the battery dies, it's useless. They should have a green light showing to show they're functioning, but if it's red or not showing, it may well not be working. It's a lottery.

[Polly]

That sounds a very useful course, Blaze.

There’s been one installed recently just round the corner from our house in the old red phone box, with instructions offered over the next few weeks for those who’d like to take part. A brilliant idea to use the phone box!

[Blaze]

That sounds a very useful course, Blaze.

I've been doing it for about 15 years. The pompiers, SNSM (French Lifeboats), Croix Rouge, Protection Civile etc all do exactly the same training/same diploma though the pompiers obviously get more cases than we do. A day's continuous training is obligatory every year, and there's often some tiny little change. But I've met some great people and it keeps you fit !!! The medipack containing the oxygen bottle + medical material weighs about 18kg .... not something you want to have to carry too far !!

[Niftyons]

Come in handy!

Not likely during an emergency.

[Pathca]

What isn’t

[Headers]

Defibs are now available for purchase on Amazon!

[Pathca]

To be fair the new defibs do it all and basically tell the operator what action to take,