Representatives from early childhood development (ECD) centres, neighbourhood watches and schools in Ward 116 recently completed their accredited first-aid level one training.

The training was made possible by a R100 000 budget allocation by Ward 116 councillor, Solomon Philander and proportional representative councillor Abraham Griesel to ensure ECD centres and schools are health and safety compliant, and to empower first responders from neighbourhood watches, Mr Philander said.

“To create a safe environment for our children, we must have educators who are able to respond to the safety of the children.

“The neighbourhood watch members benefited from the training, as they are the very persons who first respond to accidents, minor injuries and when violence erupts in our communities,” he said.

Mr Philander said the qualified first aiders will now be able to assess whether further medical assistance is needed when someone is injured.

“It is important that we have someone competent to be a first aider to assist and make assessment if there is a necessity to call the ambulance or medical help. The first aider will also assist in assessing and or provide immediate medical assistance while waiting to transport the patient for medical care.

“I want congratulate the participants and trust that their certificates will aid them to access other opportunities, as first aid is a pre-requisite or advantage for entry-level of employment,” he added.

Participants in the first-aid training said their newly acquired skills will improve the way in which first responders can now assist the community.

Beacon Valley Neighbourhood Watch member, Gail Solomons, 43, said she has often responded to scenes where people succumbed to injuries because of a lack of first-aid training among first responders.

“Many times you get the people who need medical assistance but then there is no one who can assist. With this training, we are now able to give them that assistance that they need,” she said.

Deidre Petersen, Eastridge Neighbourhood Watch chairperson, said neighbourhood watches need more first-aid kits to ensure that members in each sector block can respond to scenes promptly and efficiently.

“Crime is all over. We have five blocks in our sector. If the incident happens in block one and block five sits with the first-aid kit, how will we be able to respond in time. We need one kit per block so that we can be more efficient in our responses to calls for help,” she said.

Mr Philander said first aid level two training will be made available in coming months and first-aid kits will be allocated as the need arises.

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Preschools get ward budget boost

First-aid training for Ward 116 teachers and watch members