Is Enhanced First Response Training Really Necessary?

I teach first aid from basic life support to First Response Emergency Care (FREC) Levels 3 and 4. My clients vary from Doctor's Surgeries and businesses, to Close Protection Officers and Outdoor Professionals.

I recently read an article about close protection officers upskilling to FREC 4 to meet industry expectations and it made me think about the rest of us.  Particularly in the outdoor industry.

Is enhanced response training really necessary? In my opinion it depends where you work whether high risk or low risk and how far you are from help.

If you work in an populated area, with first world emergency care you can be confident you will have an ambulance with you quite quickly.  So no, basic emergency first aid is likely adequate in a low risk setting.

Having said that, the national average for a Category 1 emergency response is 8 minutes and 25 seconds. To give you an idea of time in a life threatening emergency, if someone is not breathing, you are looking at 5 minutes until damage to the brain, with an arterial bleed a casualty has 2-3 minutes. Thats 3 to 7 minutes to bridge.

If you are working/visiting a hostile and/or austere environment, with third world emergency care. There maybe no help coming. This was recently reinforced to me, when student on one of my courses told me how they lost their child whilst on holiday in a remote setting. Their child had an anaphylactic reaction.

They followed protocols, administering an auto injector and calling for help. When the ambulance arrived, it was a non clinical driver on their own.

The child died on arrival at hospital, where the emergency department were taken by surprise as no one called ahead.

I volunteered for many years with the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team.

Some of our callouts took many hours of walking, and navigating, followed by assessing, treating and carrying the casualty out to a road where they could be transported to hospital. There is not always a helicoptor available.

In our quest for adventure, it takes us to some amazing and remote settings in all weather. Often far from help.

As professionals, I believe we need to constantly consider our clients needs and expectations, it is good business.

Clients want to have fun and keep safe, they expect us as professional leaders/instructors to look after them.

In my opinion there are benefits from having enhanced skills.

1) Enhanced client safety. Having enhanced skills you are better equipped to handle a broader range of medical emergencies, enabling you to intervene where others could not.

2) Increased value to clients. Having these qualifications can set you apart in a competative market.

3) Reduced Liability. If you can administer immediate and appropriate medical care, you can reduce the legal risk from accusations of inadequate cover.

4) Expanded Service Offerings. With enhanced skills, you can offer a more comprehensive package, potentially opening up new business opportunities.

I beleive there are risks from inadequate or poor training.

1) The inability to response effectively. You could put your clients at risk by inaction or poor care.

2) The loss of client trust. If a medical emergency arises and you cannot respond confidently, your client may look elsewhere for future engagements.

3) Missed warning signs. Enhanced training and continued refresher training can help you spot indicators before it becomes a problem.

4) An overreliance on Medical/Rescue Services. When an immediate response is needed, relying on ambulances or rescue teams to get there fast enough can delay treatment.

As I said, these are my opinions and thoughts.  The best first aider and first kit is the one in front of you.  Enhanced training costs time and money, with enhanced training your scope of practice grows, allowing you to carry additional gear.

How far you go with your training is up to you.  The sky is the limit, along with your available time and money.

Thank you for reading.