Parents urged to learn vital first aid skills to protect their families in an emergency

• Australian adults living with children are more likely to witness an accident or medical emergency than the average adult, new research has revealed.  
• Despite this concern, 46 per cent of adults living with children surveyed by St John Ambulance across Australia said they didn’t feel confident to provide first aid.  
• This World First Aid Day, St John WA (SJWA) is renewing its call for parents and families to arm themselves with the basic skills to save a life.  

Australian adults living with children are more likely to witness a medical emergency, but nearly half say they don’t feel confident to take action to save a life, new research has revealed.   

To mark World First Aid Day on September 14, St John WA is urging parents and families to arm themselves with first aid knowledge to assist the people closest to them and potentially save a life.   

It comes after a new national survey commissioned by St John Ambulance revealed 44 per cent of Australian adults who live with someone under 18 had witnessed a health or medical emergency in the past year.   

This represented a significant jump compared to all adults surveyed, with just 33 per cent having witnessed an accident or emergency.   

As a result, 49 per cent of adults living with children had provided first aid, compared to 36 per cent among all adults surveyed. 

Additionally, 68 per cent of adults living with children said they were concerned about emergencies occurring under their roof, compared to 53 per cent among all adults.   

Despite these fears, 46 per cent of adults with people under 18 in their household said they were not confident to provide first aid, with the survey revealing 26 per cent had never done first aid training.  

SJWA Chief Preventative Officer Megs O’Donnell said emergencies could happen anytime, anywhere, and knowing the basics could be the difference between life and death.  

“Being a parent or a caregiver is a huge responsibility, and we want to make sure families feel prepared so they can act quickly and effectively in an emergency,” she said.   

“Ensuring parents or close family members learn first aid early in a child’s life and they continue to update their skills not only safeguards their child’s wellbeing but has the potential to save lives across the community.”  

SJWA is on a mission to make first aid part of everyone’s lives by providing accredited and non-accredited training options to suit everyone’s needs.  

In the last financial year, SJWA has trained 116,000 people in first aid in person and online. 

SJWA’s Tiny Tots First Aid course covers the essential skills to assist a toddler, infant or child experiencing a first aid injury.   

The course empowers new parents, families and grandparents to know how to protect the health and wellbeing of their youngest family members.   

To mark World First Aid Day, SJWA is offering 20 per cent off the Tiny Tots First Aid course and other popular courses to help build a more resilient state. 

To find out more or book a course, visit stjohnwa.com.au/first-aid-training/first-aid-sale.