So last week I officially started my training for the Community First Responder which started as my thinking it was 18.00-20.00 as per the previous evening session. Only to realise very quickly it was 18.00-22.00 with no dinner consumed.

The session its self consisted of 4 main elements

• Introduction to the charity,
• the hierarchy/organisation structure,
• manual handling (getting people out of chairs, seats and beds ready for CPR),
• and conflict resolution/break away techniques.

All were delivered as well as can be expected for a powerpoint heavy session, and my ADHD wasn’t too bad which was a blessing.

I do find the state of affairs depressing though. Where not only volunteers, but the ambulance crews too, who are there to help save people’s lives, literally, face abuse to the point that specific training is required.

For said training to include a piece on maybe pinning doors open so you have an escape route set up, how to get out of situations where you are being physically held by a patient or their family. What is society coming to.

I realise the readers of this blog are probably in the majority who wouldn’t dream of doing such things, and I am also not chastising those who cant help themselves (dementia patients etc), but it is common enough that the training exists as part 1, before the first aid training. Lets hope it is rare, and that I will be ok!

A massive thank you to M and B over at SCAS for delivering the training, making it engaging, and sharing their knowledge and experience of many years as CFRs and paramedics.