Senior First Aid Course  at Pambula SLSC

Members are invited to attend a Work Cover approved Senior First Aid Course on the 21st June. The cost of this course will be only $65 for participants who are club members, this is less than half the normal commercial price so we are hoping many of you will take the opportunity to attend. We need a minimum of 6 participants for the course to run.

To keep this course delivery down to one day participants will be required to do a series of multiple choice questions on line which should take about 2-3 hours.

If you would like to attend this course you will need to email me your phone number and email address which will be passed on to State Centre. They will in turn contact you with instructions for the online work.

 

Contact Details

email: pbootes3@bigpond.com (Preferred method)

 

Bronze Medallion

The SLSA Bronze Medallion (Certificate II Aquatic Rescue) course is for people who wish to become qualified lifesavers. It is part of the Australian Qualification Framework and is therefore a Nationally recognised qualification.

Pre requisites
To begin this course you must be 15 years of age and be able to complete a 400m pool swim in the time of 9 minutes or less. You can arrange a convenient time with Brett Osborne at the Pambula Community Pool to do this swim. On completion, Brett will provide you with a signed slip of paper stating your swim time which you will give to your instructor. Many people find the swim challenging at first but are surprised at how quickly they can reach the requirement with regular training. If you feel you need assistance with your swimming Michele Bootes ( 64953375) is willing to give you some free pointers.

The Course
The course covers  areas such as surf awareness,  first aid, resuscitation, radio communications, rescue techniques, carries and patrol duties.  Candidates will receive a workbook which will need to be completed by the end of the course. 

The course is divided into theory and practical sessions and these will be offered at times which are the most suitable to the members of the squad and trainers. Some courses are run over 3 weekends whilst others run on week nights. The course timetable will be set once the candidates’ preferences are given. 

Cost
As all trainers are volunteers, the price of this course is set at $125 which just covers the following expenses: Membership-$55, Award-$25; Equipment-$15, Manual-$30.

Maintaining your qualification
Each year active lifesavers must complete their proficiency which checks they are competent to perform their duties. This will require attending a one night update on resuscitation and carries, etc, usually in September or October, then a run swim run and test of rescue techniques in November. The emphasis on proficiencies is to offer help and training to ensure skills are kept up to date.

Why complete your Bronze
Whilst most people find completing their Bronze a considerable challenge they also find it fun and gain an enormous sense of pride in achieving their goal. It is a great way to make friends as there is a great deal of team work required throughout the course.

Apart from taking your place in regular patrols, once qualified, you will also be able to assist with Nippers, the junior activities held on Sunday mornings from November through to March and also Special Nippers, a program where lifesavers run activities for disabled children and adults.  Special Nippers  runs from 1 to 2pm on Saturdays from mid January through to the end of March. 

Younger members will also find having their SLSA Bronze Medallion listed in their CV is looked on favourably by employers. The qualification can also be used to gain Recognition of Prior Learning as many of the units of competency in the course are requirements for other courses in related fields. 

Qualified members also have access to club equipment such as boards and skis whenever they wish to use them at Pambula Beach. A Bronze member may also supervise a Nipper who wishes to practice board skills using the nipper boards. Gaining your Bronze  also enables you to participate in surf boat rowing.

For those wishing to improve their skills in lifesaving there are further courses which can be completed including Spinal Care, Advanced Resuscitation, IRB Crew and or Driver, Silver Medallion Beach Management, and Senior First Aid. If you want to get into the surf sports side of lifesaving you will have the opportunity to learn and train with fellow clubbies and to compete at regular senior surf carnivals.

Who to contact
If you are interested in enrolling in this course or if you just want more information you may ring PSLSC Chief Training Officer Frank Davey on 64956509  or Michele or Peter Bootes on 64953375 or 0416 649 315.