For the past two weeks, a handful of young islanders, including junior college students, have been engaged in a Medical First Responder (MFR) training facilitated at no charge by Island Emergency Services (IES). The training is to prepare the participants how to assist medical personnel in an emergency. The participants will also be able to assist patients before medical personnel can reach for further help.
The training taking place at Fido’s courtyard is expected to extend to a third week and at the end, successful participants will receive a certificate. Some of the lessons involved include learning how to take vitals-blood pressure, respiration, pulse, temperature, and blood glucose. Participants are learning how to use equipment such as traction splint, scoop stretcher, neck collars, the Kendrick Extrication Device, and how to apply an occlusive dressing.
The MFR training also teaches the students how to assist a patient with childbirth, heart attacks, asthma, stroke, and using the Glascow Scale, Apgar Scale among other methods to assess patients. Other lessons are how to properly fill a Patient Care Report and understand more about human anatomy and physiology.
The training is conducted by Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and BLS and Emergency Medical Response Level 7 Instructor Wellin Williams. Williams is authorized by the American Safety and Health Institute and said it is important to give those interested in the medical field the opportunity to learn about it. Williams says that at the end of the training, the island will have a group of residents, who will be able to assist in a medical emergency. IES’ and EMT Abner Bacab said that such an opportunity is for the sole purpose of San Pedro Town. He believes that with more persons skilled in this field, there will be more hands available to help.
Two of the students taking the course, Aaliyah Oxley and Lorena Tzoc, shared that they see the training as a plus for them. Both believe that being knowledgeable in emergency response can help others in risky situations and perhaps even save lives is very important for a community like San Pedro. They thank IES for the opportunity to learn what to do in the event of a medical emergency.
The training is considered the first of its kind on the island made available to students by health professionals. Similar courses are being planned for next year to get more islanders involved and make San Pedro a safer community.
