Intrductin Plicy FIRST AID POLICY Tday Red Crss and Red Crescent Scieties are the majr first aid prvider in the wrld. 1 This started at Slferin when first aid was given t the wunded sldiers, the sick and injured withut discriminatin. In the 21 st century, the Internatinal Federatin f Red Crss and Red Crescent Scieties (Internatinal Federatin) reaffirms its cmmitment t first aid within the changing cntext f glbal health. The Missin f the Internatinal Federatin is t imprve the lives f vulnerable peple by mbilizing the pwer f humanity. 2 The Gals f the Federatin s Glbal Agenda established in 2006 are: Gal 1: T reduce the number f deaths, injuries and impact frm disasters. Gal 2: T reduce the number f deaths, injuries and impact frm diseases and public health emergencies. Gal 3: T increase lcal cmmunity, civil sciety and Red Crss Red Crescent capacity t address the mst urgent situatins f vulnerability. Gal 4: T prmte respect fr diversity and human dignity and reduce intlerance, discriminatin and scial exclusin. Everyne has the ptential t save lives. First aid educatin and practice are essential tls fr the achievement f these Gals. Red Crss and Red Crescent staff and vlunteers cntinue their effrts t make first aid available t all. First aid is nt nly abut life saving techniques. First aid is an act f humanity shwing willingness t save lives with full respect fr diversity and withut discriminatin. Building skills in first aid with the vulnerable peple can help t build safer and healthier cmmunities. The Internatinal Federatin s Glbal Health and Care Strategy 2006-2010 prvides the framewrk fr the integratin f first aid educatin and practice with all health and care activities. If the Internatinal Federatin is t fully realise the ptential f first aid, Natinal Scieties must take a cncerted effrt t increase the number f peple trained in first aid and t scale up their cmmunity-based first aid actins. Definitin Fr the purpse f this plicy, the fllwing definitins have been adpted: First aid This is immediate help prvided t a sick r injured persn until prfessinal help arrives. It is cncerned nt nly with physical injury r illness but als with ther initial care which includes psychscial supprt fr peple suffering emtinal distress caused by experiencing r witnessing a traumatic event. 3 1 Reprt f the First Aid Educatin Eurpean Netwrk, Geneva 4-7 Octber 2006. 2 Strategy 2010, Internatinal Federatin f Red Crss and Red Crescent Scieties, 1999. 3 Eurpean First Aid Guidelines, Resuscitatin, Vlume 72, Issue 2, Pages 240-251 (February 2007) develped n behalf f the Eurpean First Aid Manual prject by the Belgian Red Crss-Flanders 1
First aider This is a laypersn trained and certified in first aid, wh is able t use this knwledge and skills t prtect and save lives, as well as t mbilise and assist a cmmunity t be prepared t respnd t emergency situatins. 4 First aid educatin This is an apprved prgramme fr prviding knwledge and skills in prcedures and techniques that require little r n equipment and can be taught t the general public. This prgramme has defined utcmes and is prvided by qualified trainers r facilitatrs. First aid certificatin This is frmal recgnitin f cmpetence t an agreed standard by an apprved natinal authrity. It shuld be time limited and able t be renewed n expiry. First aid services These are planned services prvided during public events t respnd t ptential emergencies. They are established by agreement between the event rganizers, cmmunities and the vlunteers and staff in their Red Crss and Red Crescent Scieties. First aid in the cmmunity (Cmmunity-based first aid) This aims t build the resilience f cmmunities by wrking with them in an inclusive and flexible apprach in first aid. It includes identifying lcal capacity and vulnerability t cmmn injuries, cmmunity health pririties (such as preventin, health prmtin and cntrl f cmmn diseases), disaster preparedness and respnse capacity. It als helps the recruitment and retentin f effective vlunteers wh are clse t that particular cmmunity. 5 Scpe: This plicy establishes the basis f Red Crss and Red Crescent first aid activities whether carried ut by a single Branch f a Natinal Sciety, by an individual Natinal Sciety, by a grup f Natinal Scieties wrking tgether r by the Internatinal Federatin. Statement: This plicy cnfirms the cmmitment f the Internatinal Federatin and the individual member Natinal Scieties t first aid and t adpting a cmmunity based apprach in first aid. The emphasis is n prmpt and apprpriate first aid actin t prtect and save lives, alleviate suffering, prevent disability and imprve quality f life. It is als nted that: First aid prvides an initial rapid respnse t a health emergency, ffering prtective and effective life saving measures until the affected persn's cnditin is stabilised r remedied, r prfessinal help is available; First aid educatin is an imprtant part f health prmtin by including infrmatin n injury and accident preventin and safe and healthy behaviurs, such as first aid infrmatin and skills fr use in drug- and alchl-related emergencies, HIV and ther disease preventin; Quality first aid educatin and services must be delivered accrding t up-t-date evidence based guidelines and best practice t ensure cmpliance with agreed 4 Internatinal harmnisatin f First Aid: First recmmendatins n life-saving techniques, Internatinal Federatin f Red Crss and Red Crescent Scieties, 2004 5 First aid in the cmmunity, a framewrk fr Natinal Sciety prgramming, Internatinal Federatin f Red Crss and Red Crescent Scieties, 2006. 2
standards. Flexibility and adaptatin t lcal cntext with respect t gender and diversity is imprtant; Cmmunity based first aid knwledge and skills prvided by trained vlunteers and staff can cntribute t imprved maternal and child health and ther health-related pririties; First aid activities can supprt the rle f Natinal Scieties in civil sciety by emphasising the empwerment and cmmunity develpment gained by a cmmunitybased apprach. Vlunteers help t build the resilience f individuals and cmmunities in disaster preparedness and disaster respnse as well as in their daily lives ; First aid activities strengthen the capacity f Natinal Scieties by serving as a strng link t ther activities especially the develpment f yuth and cmmunity vlunteer netwrks. First aid training and service prvisin shuld be included in the strategic develpment plan f Natinal Scieties; Marketing f first aid training and related prducts is a useful means f resurce mbilisatin and incme generatin. The Internatinal Federatin needs t prfile its first aid wrk and cperate with multinatinal crpratins t expand the first aid training market with Natinal Scieties; First aid shuld be accessible t all. This includes vulnerable peple with specific needs. The Internatinal Federatin shall: Supprt member Natinal Scieties in develping first aid prgrammes at different levels and accrding t their specific needs. This includes the develpment f tls t supprt cherent cmmunity based appraches in first aid and health prmtin, marketing as well as quality management f cmmercial first aid activities; Establish plicies and internal prcedures t supprt reliable and cnsistent first aid prgrammes including a prcess f quality assurance with a mnitring framewrk t measure cverage and impact; Supprt Natinal Scieties and participate in the develpment f harmnized first aid techniques 6 in accrdance with scientific research, internatinal standards, gd practice guidelines and measures f quality services as expressed by beneficiaries and referral structure. This can be achieved by setting up alliances with scientific bdies, public health experts including injury preventin such as in rad safety, and pedaggical specialists t ensure a cntinuus infrmatin flw. This includes trend and situatin analysis and the latest evidence based develpments in the fields f first aid and educatin; Strengthen the harmnisatin prcess and mechanism t develp standards fr first aid certificatin in rder t guarantee a minimum degree f quality and internatinal recgnitin; Build n the cmparative advantage f the Mvement s glbal presence by ensuring shared learning and the replicatin f successful first aid activities, while maintaining the Mvement s traditinal psitin as a majr definer and prvider f first aid; 6 Internatinal harmnizatin f First aid First recmmendatins n life-saving techniques, Internatinal Federatin f Red Crss and Red Crescent Scieties, 2004 3
Facilitate the develpment f learning netwrks, resurce centres and centres f excellence with an emphasis n the disseminatin and exchange f prgrams, resurces and relevant experiences including innvatins in learning and marketing; Cperate clsely with the Internatinal Cmmittee f the Red Crss and frm partnerships with internatinal bdies such as Wrld Health Organisatin t share knwledge and meet emerging needs. This includes ffering additinal training supprt in first aid team actin in disasters, armed cnflicts and situatins f vilence; Advcate and wrk with partners fr legislatin and directives t include first aid educatin r training curses such as in schl curricular, at wrkplaces, and amng driving schl applicants.; Take a leading rle in glbal prmtin activities such as the Wrld First Aid Day, internatinal First Aid Cnventins and thers. Establish glbal key messages and use media t raise awareness f the imprtance f first aid. Natinal Scieties shall: Wrk with cmmunities and individuals t - build n existing lcal structures, experience and skills; - plan, develp and manage apprpriate first aid activities which best respnd t lcal needs, including the establishment f cmmunicatin link with lcal referral structures; - respect the lcal prfile and envirnment; - develp flexible and relevant first aid prgrammes which respnd t changes and new vulnerabilities in injury, diseases and health pririties; - cnsider hw t meet the physical and psychscial needs f all peple cncerned, including vlunteers, staff and beneficiaries; Adapt first aid prgrammes t meet lcal needs and the specific needs f particular grups e.g. children, peple in particular wrk places, peple with special learning needs. Empwer peple with first aid skills t help themselves and their cmmunities in injury and disease preventin and health prmtin; Ensure that they meet their natinal wrkplace legislative requirements t have the required number f emplyees trained in first aid and t prvide the necessary first aid materials. First aid vlunteers must be recgnised and supprted. Establish relatinships and cperatin with public health authrities and ther gvernmental bdies t ensure fficial recgnitin as apprpriate f their Natinal Sciety first aid certificates e.g. first aid curses fr driving licence applicants, first aid training fr ccupatinal health and safety fficers. Imprve the quality and impact f their first aid prgrammes by develping and/r making use f apprpriate and relevant first aid fllw-up and refresher prgrammes and materials as well as imprving and regularly updating the trainers training and educatin using recgnised learning tls including distance, web based and E- learning; Allcate sufficient resurces at all levels t plan, implement, manage and sustain first aid prgrammes within their natinal framewrks. Prper marketing f first aid training and activities fr the public and amng vulnerable cmmunities must be an integral part f their strategic plan. 4
Build int all first aid prgrammes a system fr nging mnitring and evaluatin t shw impact n the capacity f the individuals, cmmunities, vlunteers and staff invlved t respnd effectively t injuries and health emergencies; Link first aid activities with ther activities t achieve maximum beneficiary cverage, participatin and cmmitment f vlunteers and the best use f resurces and financial perfrmance; Frm wrking partnerships with relevant gvernment institutins and agencies, nngvernmental rganisatins and ther civil institutins, media and the private sectr in rder t truly mbilise the pwer f humanity. Prmte first aid in rder t have at least ne persn per husehld trained in first aid. Prmte first aid withut discriminatin and participate in Internatinal Federatin glbal events such as the Wrld First Aid Day using gd cmmunicatin channels, including all media in rder t reach the public with key first aid messages. Participate in gd practice studies and research in first aid and related tpics such as pre hspital care, psychlgical supprt, educatin and cmmunity develpment. Respnsibilities: The Internatinal Federatin and Natinal Scieties are respnsible fr ensuring that all first aid prgrammes cmply with this plicy; all staff and vlunteers cntributing t the develpment and prvisin f first aid activities and prgrammes are aware f and adhere t the ratinale and details f this plicy; all staff and vlunteers have at least basic first aid knwledge and skills t respnd t a first aid incident. They are equipped with the necessary tls, supprt and prtectin equipment in prviding first aid in different situatins. Additinal training and preparatin must be prvided fr staff and vlunteers wh may be invlved in armed cnflicts and ther situatins f vilence: all relevant partners are adequately infrmed f this plicy. First aid is at the interface f a number f Red Crss and Red Crescent activities. This plicy shuld be cnsidered in cnjunctin with the Glbal Health and Care Strategy 2006-2010 and all ther Federatin plicies, with specific references t thse n health, develpment, vluntarism, yuth, disaster-preparedness and respnse and fund-raising. Natinal Scieties have the respnsibility f identifying their rle in the verall natinal first aid and emergency respnse plan while adhering t ther plicies and guidelines f the Internatinal Federatin. Reference: This plicy was adpted by the Gverning Bard meeting n 5 Octber 2007 in Geneva. 5