Everyone Struggles to Provide Aid in an Emergency: The Need for Regular First Aid Training
The Björn Steiger Emergency Aid and Rescue Services Foundation is pushing for mandatory first aid refresher courses every two years. Expert disease specialists are conducting an investigation in German pedestrian zones to determine if people still remember crucial survival techniques, such as CPR, learned in their driving license training. Starting this Saturday in Essen, this initiative will also include locations in cities like Leipzig.
Strangers in at least ten cities across the country will be asked about their memories from their initial first aid training. Using questionnaires and dummies, the foundation aims to assess at least 600 individuals.
Remembering the basics in an emergency situation is challenging, says Siegfried Brockmann, the foundation's traffic safety and accident research manager. "Many people simply can’t provide aid during an emergency," explains Brockmann. This is why regular refresher courses every two years are necessary, much like car inspections.
These courses should cover essential survival techniques, including CPR, the stable side position, and pressure bandaging, explains Brockmann.
The Importance of CPR
CPR is particularly critical, emphasizes the Björn Steiger Foundation, citing data from the German Resuscitation Council. Over 70,000 individuals in Germany experience a sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital every year. Only around 10% of them survive. Within three to five minutes, irreversible brain damage can occur.
Regular refresher courses could potentially save thousands of lives every year, making it a priority for regulatory bodies to consider. Struggling to provide adequate aid during an emergency, as highlighted by Siegfried Brockmann, underscores the need for regular revisions of crucial survival techniques such as CPR.
Enrichment Data Integration:
According to researchers, regular first aid training can significantly improve individuals’ ability to respond effectively in emergency situations. In a study by the American Heart Association, participants who had completed a CPR certification course demonstrated better performance during simulations than those who hadn’t. Regular refresher courses are crucial because memory retention can degrade over time, leading to decreased competency in performing first aid techniques.
There are also resources available, like online courses and mobile applications, that help maintain proficiency between formal training sessions. For those interested in strengthening their first aid skills, these resources can be a valuable addition to regular in-person refresher courses.
Though there isn't specific mention of mandatory two-year first aid refresher courses in Germany, initiatives like the Next Generation City Networking (NGCN) project in Hamburg aim to improve emergency services using drones and AI, which could indirectly support the need for regular training and refresher courses. In fact, similar programs already exist in other countries, such as Poland, where first aid classes are compulsory in primary schools.
