St John Ambulance Australia, in partnership with the NatRoad announce that 1,000 truckies have now been trained through an online program named ‘Truckie First Aid’.
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The program takes best practice training principles and First Aid protocols, and makes them accessible through free, online learning that is tailored to the audience.
Truckies are often the first responders at the scene of a crash, and first aid interventions in the early minutes can be lifesaving, especially as 634 lives have already been lost on Australian roads this year.
CEO of NatRoad, Warren Clark says there are thousands of trucks on our roads daily, including less populated remote areas.
“This training provides operators with the lifesaving skills and confidence to help in those first critical minutes,” he says.
In Australia, first aid rates are low in comparison with other developed nations, however a 2023 poll of Australian adults discovered that First Aid Training more than doubled the confidence to provide care to someone in emergency situations.
Truckies First Aid is a free eLearning course that takes 30-40 minutes to complete, guiding participants through essential first aid skills, with a certificate issued upon completion.
The learning and skills are taken from the DRSABCD First Aid action plan, and include teachings such as keeping an airway open, stemming a bleed or performing CPR.
COO of St John Ambulance, Adrian Watts acknowledges the importance of the program.
“It’s such a useful course, empowering Truckies with the knowledge and skills to be able to respond to a first aid emergency while they’re on the road,” he says.
“Courses like this allow us to get First Aid knowledge and skills into the hands of our Australian public in a practical way that relates to their daily work and lifestyle.”
While St John Ambulance Australia encourages people to undertake accredited First Aid training and to maintain their skills, this course allows priority audiences to be reached, contributing to a better First Aid safety net for Australian communities.
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