Towcester squadron took part in a joint youth first aid course in conjunction with Milton Keynes squadron on the 19th and 20th of February. The aim was to learn vital skills and first aid knowledge to complete the St. John Youth First Aid qualification. A total of 15 cadets took part from Towcester, with only 7 cadets from Milton Keynes. The first day took place in Towcester, starting at 9:00 and finishing at 5:00, focusing on the topics which would be assessed; CPR, the primary survey, the recovery position and bleeding and shock. Although these were the focus of the day, many other skills were learnt such as managing; allergic reactions, spinal injury, chest pains and choking. All of which included videos with possibly the worst acting I have ever seen, amusing everyone on the course. The second day, which took place in Milton Keynes and started at 9:30, finishing at 3:00, built upon the knowledge learnt on the previous day as well as learning new skills such as how to deal with; burns and scalds, electric shock, fainting, hypothermia, heat exhaustion and poisoning before the practical assessments took place. The practical assessments involved situations in which the skills learnt would be used to deal with a casualty, including some brilliant acting from Corporal Howe D as the bleeding casualty. Most cadets passed each assessment first time however with a few repeats, a 100% completion rate was achieved, a brilliant result for the course.
