Red Cross steps up Wilderness and Psychosocial First Aid training as Hurricane season approaches

Ahead of the hurricane season, Red Cross First Aid instructors from across the English-speaking Caribbean have arrived in Trinidad and Tobago to increase their training skills in wilderness first aid, psychological first aid and emergency medical response. The training-of-the-trainers workshops are organized by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and facilitated by trainers from the American Red Cross and the Jamaica Red Cross.

Following the training, Red Cross National Societies will add these new skills to their course offerings in their respective countries. The Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society is expected to introduce wilderness and psychological first aid training to businesses and the general public, from July 2022, as part of its income generation stream that supports its humanitarian work.

According to Augustus Forde, First Aid Coordinator, Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society:
“First Aid training is a core component of our work in T&T. We recognize that every minute counts in a crisis and being able to take immediate action can save lives. In a family, community or workplace emergency - when someone knows First Aid, a crisis can be averted in the critical minutes it takes medical help to arrive. For those who get into difficulty out hiking or at sea, during flooding or another major disaster where help may take even longer to arrive, having a trained member in the group is crucial.”

Ariel Kestens, IFRC Head of Delegation, Country Cluster Delegation for the Dutch- and English-speaking Caribbean, Port of Spain, said:
“First aid has been at the heart of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement since we were founded more than 150 years ago. Hundreds of millions of people have been trained since then, and countless lives have been saved. This training of trainers serves to build the cadre of trained facilitators in the region and provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to reach more people in communities across the Caribbean, multiplying the number of first aid trainers and trained emergency medical responders to save more lives and change more minds.”
Wilderness or Remote First Aid involves the treatment given to an injured or ill person in a remote environment such as the forest or out at sea, in the absence of a healthcare professional and rapid emergency transport to such care.  Other settings considered to be “remote” include sites or circumstances in which help is at least one hour away, such as after a natural or human-caused disaster.

Psychological First Aid seeks to aid someone in distress by reducing stress symptoms, helping them feel safe and calm and assisting in a healthy recovery following a traumatic event, natural disaster, public health emergency, or even a personal crisis. The training helps participants understand that emotional distress though not always as visible as a physical injury, can be just as painful and debilitating.

For more information on first aid or to register for training, please visit ttrcs.org