First Nations first aid training hits the Pilbara

St John WA has delivered vital first aid training to First Nations people in the Pilbara.  

Thanks to funding from Shaw and Partners, St John WA held a two-day HLTAID011 Provide First Aid session for the team from Gumala Aboriginal Corporation in Tom Price.  

The course covered core first aid essentials such as the DRSABCD Action Plan, how to perform CPR and wound management.  

The group also learnt how to help people experiencing a range of emergencies such as cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, snake bites, sprains, and strains.  

St John WA first aid trainer, Roberta Bonney, taught the two-day course for the Gumala team and is passionate about ensuring her community is well-prepared for medical emergencies.  

“It doesn’t matter who you are,” Roberta said.  

“Whether it’s taking a splinter out, or performing CPR and applying a defibrillator, we can all use first aid somewhere.” 

With more than 25 years of experience working in Aboriginal health, Roberta is proud to be creating an environment where her trainees can feel safe to ask questions and get involved. 

“I get a lot of Aboriginal people come through that say, ‘We weren’t ashamed to ask questions, we weren’t afraid to do CPR,’” Roberta said. 

“Those are the things that really, really encourage me.  

“Knowing that I’m out there making a difference to my community, and to my people as well.” 

The training was made possible as part of a $50,000 donation via the Shaw and Partners Foundation to St John WA for further education and first aid training to boost community resilience and improve capacity to manage medical emergencies for First Nations people. 

“As part of the Shaw and Partners grant, which has supported several First Nations initiatives within St John, we were really pleased to deliver the continuation of our First Nations First Aid program in Tom Price with another planned for the Langford Aboriginal Corporation,” Jeremy Maitland-Smith, St John WA’s First Nations Lead, said. 

“Delivered by Aboriginal people to Aboriginal people, this course intends to fill a need within communities that have a much higher burden of disease, often with reduced access to pre-hospital care. 

“This is an important program, that in collaboration with First Nations stakeholders, we are projecting to scale statewide to benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities.”