A hard-hitting road safety presentation aimed at reducing speeding and careless driving on Guernsey’s roads is being delivered to secondary school students this week.A hard-hitting road safety presentation aimed at reducing speeding and careless driving on Guernsey’s roads is being delivered to secondary school students this week.
Licence to Kill is a tri-service initiative produced by Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service, Guernsey Police and Guernsey’s Emergency Ambulance Service, which shows students the devastating consequences of speeding, drinking alcohol, not wearing a seatbelt and using mobile phones whilst driving, known as the fatal four.
The sessions are being shown to Year 11 students, who will soon be behind the wheel and it features footage of local crashes as well as interviews with victims and their families.
Emergency Ambulance Service EMT Jim Cathcart said: “Road traffic incidents can be devasting, not just for those directly involved but for families and the wider community. Everyone’s life is important and we want our roads to be safer for everyone. The messages of Licence to Kill are simple – Don’t speed, don’t drive under the influence of drink or drugs, don’t use a mobile phone or text while driving and wear a seatbelt. We hope that this presentation will have a positive impact on the next generation of young drivers and on the safety of our roads.”
Roads Policing Unit officer Mat Du Port said: “Everyone needs to take road safety seriously. Very sadly in the past couple of years we have seen that serious road traffic collisions do happen in Guernsey and the results can be life changing or fatal. Every driver has a responsibility to themselves, everyone in their car and everyone they pass to act safely. Licence to Kill is a reminder that just because they’ve passed their driving test, they aren’t suddenly able to drive at speed, or when drunk or under the influence of drugs. It is a licence to drive – not a licence to kill.”
Fire & Rescue Service Crew Commander Gavin Robins said: “The Licence to Kill message is hard-hitting because we not only want to raise awareness of the consequences of dangerous driving, but also change attitudes. We don’t want to meet any of these students the next time we attend a road traffic collision. As the first responders who attend crashes in Guernsey we know first-hand how people are affected both with the physical injuries as well as the impact they have on people’s mental health and wellbeing, so while the message of this presentation is hard hitting we are empathetic to people’s feelings and we do encourage young people to talk about the issues after the presentation.”
St John Ambulance Guernsey is delighted to be working with Guernsey FC again to promote lifesaving CPR as part international “Restart A Heart Day” on Sunday 16th October.
St John Ambulance Guernsey is delighted to be working with Guernsey FC again to promote lifesaving CPR as part international “Restart A Heart Day” on Sunday 16th October.
St John event first aid volunteers and St John Community First Responders will be at Footes Lane for the match against Uxbridge (KO 1300) demonstrating how to do CPR and use an AED when someone collapses and stops breathing. There will be opportunities for fans to get hands on before the match, at half time and after the full-time whistle.
St John Communications Officer Jim Cathcart said: “Anyone can be affected by a sudden cardiac arrest at any time and for every minute without intervention, the person’s chances of survival reduce significantly. CPR is a simple but life-saving skill and there are people in Guernsey today who would not be here if someone had not known what to do. Everyone in our community, has a role to play in the chain of survival, whether it’s by calling 999, doing chest compressions, locating a defibrillator, or by telling others what to do. Restart a Heart Day is about giving people the skills and confidence to help deliver simple but life-saving treatment.”
GFC director Nic Legg added: “CPR is something everyone should know. No-one wants to find themselves in that situation, but knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between a life saved and a life lost. Last year we had CPR and AED lessons with St John Training Services as part of our pre-season training, so we are delighted to be working with St John again this year and are grateful to the St John volunteers who have given their time to pass on their skills to our stewards, players and fans. We are also fortunate to have our own portable defibrillator pitch-side, purchased from St John after our training, thanks to generous support of three local companies. There is also a public access defibrillator at Footes Lane, unveiled by former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba back in 2013.”
Guernsey FC has also given free admission to the match against Uxbridge to all St John volunteers and Emergency Ambulance Service crews to thank them for their service to the community.
Restart A Heart week is an annual initiative led by the Resuscitation Council UK, in partnership with other charities and ambulance services. In Guernsey Restart A Heart week is supported by the Guernsey Cardiac Action Group, the Emergency Ambulance Service, St John Training Services and St John Ambulance volunteers.
Steve Ford, Head of Emergency Planning and Support at the Emergency Ambulance Service added: “In Guernsey we have been working hard to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. The Cardiac Action Group has provided basic training for thousands of islanders, we have a network of public access defibrillators, we have St John Community First Responders and a team of co-responders, and the 999 call takers at JESCC give CPR advice over the phone – but there is still more to do and the more people who have the skills and the confidence to do CPR and use an AED the better.”
According to the Resuscitation Council UK when someone has a cardiac arrest, performing immediate CPR can help double their chance of survival in some cases. Around 80% of out-of hospital cardiac arrest occur in the home, highlighting the potential benefit of family members being trained in CPR. Defibrillation within 3–5 minutes can produce survival rates as high as 50%–70%. The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest is tripled when an AED is available via a public-access defibrillation programme.
St John volunteers will also be assisting the Cardiac Action Group at their community-based sessions during the week leading up to Restart A Heart Day.
St John Training Services provides a full range of first aid courses for individuals and businesses. Contact info@stjohntraining.gg
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