St John brings the fun to children at Ronald McDonald House WA

Being in an ambulance can be frightening for sick children, but a group of youngsters staying at Ronald McDonald House WA got to experience the fun side of St John WA thanks to the Youth and Community team’s First Aid Focus program.

The visit, run by St John WA first aid trainer Gemma Owens, included story time for the children, as well as colouring and dress-up activities, and a fun ambulance tour.

Activities designed to teach children how to identify an emergency and how to call Triple Zero were well received by the children, who responded enthusiastically to Gemma’s prompts.

“These skills are so important because they might have to use them in a real-life situation,” Gemma said.

“The way that we teach those to the children is child-appropriate.

“I think their favourite part is obviously the lights and the sirens for the ambulance.

“They had a great time.”

For these children especially, the visit provided the chance to demystify some of the workings of an emergency services vehicle, and to take away some of the anxieties common in young people.

“To ensure that the kids aren’t scared to go through an ambulance, I think it’s really important, and this also gives them an opportunity to see what goes on inside an ambulance,” Courtney Kennedy from Ronald McDonald House WA said.

“And who knows? We might have some future paramedics in the wings.”

For more information on St John WA’s First Aid Focus program, click HERE.

For Ronald McDonald House WA, click HERE.