NEWS RELEASE
ST. JOHN AMBULANCE BARRIE SIMCOE MUSKOKA
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Three volunteer first aid teams from the Barrie Simcoe Muskoka Branch of St. John Ambulance competed in the Annual First Aid Competition in Richmond Hill, Ont. with one team placing second in their category and advancing to the provincial competition being held in Toronto, Ont. at the Emergency Medical Training Institute on May 26, 2018.
The Regional First Aid Competition categories included Youth, Standard First Aid, Advanced Medical First Response and Pro (consisting of at least two firefighters, registered nurses or register practical nurses).
The Barrie Simcoe Muskoka Branch submitted two teams in the Youth Category and one Adult team in the Standard First Aid category to compete and test their skills.
This was the first competition experience for the two Youth teams and they made lasting memories and gained quite a bit of experience. The team that competed in the Adult category (although they were all under 16 years old) placed second in the category and will advance to the Provincial Competition.
The history of St. John Ambulance first aid competitions dates back to the 1890’s in England, to 1914 in Canada and to 1918 in Ontario.
The objectives of these first aid competitions are to improve the efficiency and quality of care provided by first-aiders, to accustom first-aiders to work in all types of surroundings, to build confidence in first-aiders, to stimulate a healthy rivalry between competing teams, to provide the opportunity for competitors to meet and interact with their colleagues from across the province, and to allow members of the public to view the excellent care St. John Ambulance trained first-aiders provide.
For more information and volunteer opportunities please contact Cathy Banting at St. John Ambulance – Barrie Simcoe Muskoka at 705 726-0991 ext 223.
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