Ottawa, May 29, 2008 –
Two of St. John Ambulance Ontario’s finest First Aid Instructor Trainers, Josephine Hall and Mia Nagasaki-Kelly, of Ottawa and Barrie respectively, are travelling to St. Lucia to conduct first aid “train the trainer” sessions in various first aid courses on behalf of St. John Canada and with support from St. John Council for Ontario. There will be 22 participants attending the sessions that represent eight Caribbean St. John Associations.
The “train the trainer” sessions will teach the participants vital first aid skills including the proper use of Automated External Defibrillation (AED). In learning these skills the participants will return back to their local communities to train their own residents and as a result be prepared for emergencies. The instructors will be using many Canadian-made training materials and aids including, instructor bags, ACTAR™ training mannequins, student guides, books and posters.
In 2007, St. John Ambulance Canada embarked on a partnership to support St. John Associations internationally in first aid training and related materials, provision of supplies and general advice and support. A Memorandum of Understanding between Bermuda and St. John Canada represents the first formal agreement entered into under the STAPLE program (Short Term Assistance Plus Local Effort). STAPLE is a worldwide initiative, connecting St. John member-countries with the goal of sharing first aid expertise, tools and resources in support of the mission of St. John.
St. John Ambulance is one of the oldest humanitarian, non denominational organizations in the world. In Canada, St. John Ambulance trains over 550,000 citizens in first aid and other health care related courses each year. The 25,000 volunteers provide two million hours annually, which consists of Medical First Responders who attend public events to provide first aid coverage, a Youth Program and a Therapy Dog Program that provides therapeutic visits to those in special care and long term care facilities.
For more information about St. John Ambulance’s first aid courses or volunteering visit the website at www.sja.ca.
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For more information contact:
Jennifer Lavoie
Marketing and Communications
St. John Ambulance National Office
400-1900 City Park Drive
Ottawa, ON K1J 1A3
1-888-840-5646 ext 228
Cell: (613) 859-9000