aston links - welcome talk 2012

Aston LINKSSt John Ambulance

Welcome Meeting 2012/2013

Aston LINKS Welcome Presentation 2012

Society of the Year 2012/2013


Chairperson Roger Howell [email protected]

Webmaster Roger Howell [email protected]

Vice-Chairperson James Wright [email protected]

Operations Coordinator James Wright [email protected]

Training Coordinator Jake Delaney [email protected]

Induction Coordinator Jake Delaney [email protected]

Treasurer Natalia Bulak [email protected]

Secretary Ieva Kurmyte [email protected]

Social Secretary Dominykas Simkus [email protected]

Resources Position Vacant [email protected]

Committee Members

Note that email addresses have recently changed format. The old format of [email protected] will continue to receive emails, but the above style is preferred.

mailto:[email protected]






















Video – Emergency Bikers

• Play clip of Emergency Bikers (S03E06)• www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9cWovCyL1A#t=0m50s• First aider at the theatre performed CPR on a person who had become

unconscious• Credit: Channel 5 / YouTube

• Demonstrates chain of survival“The sooner CPR is started the better [the] outcome the better chance a patient has [of surviving]. Doing what he did has ensured that oxygenated blood has continued to [flow to] the guy’s brain.”

– Steve Harris, Biker Paramedic

• Nothing done by paramedics in this video cannot be done by SJA first aiders/Cycle Responders– NB: Oropharyngeal airway/bag-valve mask is taught during medical

gases - an Advanced First Aider module

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9cWovCyL1A


Chain of Survival

Survival from a cardiac incident depends upon the following four steps (links in the chain):

1) Early Access

2) Early CPR

3) Early Defibrillation

4) Early Advanced Care


“First aid is the initial assistance or treatment given to a person who is injured or suddenly taken ill.

The person who provides this help is a first aider”

- First Aid Manual (9th edition, revised)

What is “First Aid”?


More aspects to first aid...

• First aid incidents vary wildly:– sunburn – paper cuts – drug use (incl. alcohol)– Crayons stuck in various orifices..– grazed knees

• Typically, people look after themselves

• Serious accidents and illness are rare, but if it did happen, would you know what to do?


• The Nation’s leading first aid charity

• We have more than 40,000 volunteers

• We train over 500,000 people each year

• We have the country’s largest fleet of ambulances

• Our volunteers give more than 5 million hours of their time each year

What is St John Ambulance


• The student branch of St John Ambulance

• More than 55 units across the country - seven in the West Midlands region

What is LINKS?

• 775 West Midlands students trained during freshers’ last year

• We are both a student society and a St John Ambulance unit – run by committee


• St John Ambulance First Aider (FA)– To become a qualified SJA first aider

• Two weekends and two evenings to cover a total of 15-modules– Extremely limited spaces

• Other opportunities for training• Expectation of providing event cover

in return for training

From us, to you..

• Society Membership– General interest sessions

• Monday evenings• One-time £5 membership fee

• Essential First Aid (EFA)– How to keep somebody

alive• Standalone 2-hour course• Free for all, limited spaces


Essential First Aid (EFA)

• Essential First Aid (EFA) – 2hr course: – Keep an adult alive until an ambulance arrives

• Communication and casualty care• Looking after yourself and the casualty• Adult resuscitation• Treatment of choking in adults• Treatment of severe bleeding and chest pains• Treatment of an unconscious casualty.

– Sat 13/Oct/2012 (times TBC, subject to trainer availability)

• Session 1:: 09:00-11:00• Session 2:: 11:30-13:30• Session 3:: 14:30-16:30• Session 4:: 17:00-19:00

You must sign in 25-minutes before your session is due to begin.

If you do not do so, your place may be given to somebody on the waiting list.


EFA – Important Dates

• Three rounds of allocations– First round:

• Club/Society Chairs, Presidents and Captains• Given until 21:00 Friday 5th October 2012 to book places

– Second round:• Confirmed Aston LINKS society members• Given until 21:00 Monday 8th October 2012 to book place• Until the end of the session next week

– Third round:• All remaining spaces will then be allocated on a first-come-first-

serve basis to anybody and everybody


EFA - Booking

• Email [email protected] to book your place– Subject Line: "EFA Booking"– Subject Line: "EFA Booking (<society/club> committee member)"

• Include: – Name– Preferred contact Email Address– Contact number – so we can let you know of any last-minute changes!– Preferred EFA course time – list in order of preference (most preferred first, least

preferred last)– Year of study– Whether you have an interest in becoming an SJA first aider

• (no pressure, for our own interest)

• Committee members should also include:– What club(s) are you a committee member for?– What role(s) do you perform?



• £5 society membership fee– The minimum fee for societies at Aston University– Split between the Union account and an SJA account

• (The Union is a charity, as is SJA – this raises various issues relating to the legal aspects of using Union monies to purchase items from SJA using the Union accounts etc)

• Includes priority listing onto the Essential First Aid course• Includes all general-interest sessions• Includes all socials organised by Aston LINKS• Includes voting rights at EGMs and AGMs

Society membership – Aston LINKS


1. Fill in the register

2. Pay your membership fee to Chair / Treasurer

3. Provide a preferred contact email address

4. Done!

Society Members - Joining Process


Becoming an SJA first aider

• St John Ambulance First Aider (FA)– Keep someone out of hospital

• Asthma attack / minor-bleeds / bumps / fainting / minor burns / headaches / sprains / strains

– Provide urgent pre-hospital care• Fractures / diabetic emergencies / choking / major

bleeds / chest pain / asthma attack / resuscitation (all ages) / defibrillation / major burns / severe allergic reactions / stroke / extremes of temperature / spinal injuries... And more!


SJA Membership - Aston LINKS

• Free training– First aid– Event management– Radio operators– Etc

• Uniform• Reimbursement of travel

expenses to events and training

• ... CV-fodder!!

• Attendance at awesome events:– Creamfields– V-Festival– Take That– Tough Guy– Birmingham Alexander Stadium

(athletics)– Birmingham Wheels– The Grand National– Aston Villa football ground

* Part of your society membership fees pay for the social side of Aston LINKS - food/drinks at meetings etc and part goes toward the first aid side of Aston LINKS - travel expenses of trainers

and training equipment (eg bandages) during training sessions

• Membership of SJA (the UK’s leading first aid charity)

– NB: SJA membership is always free, but society membership is charged for*


1. Interview– With committee members

• More a formal chat than interview• Opportunity for you to actually find out about Aston LINKS

2. Complete membership paperwork

1. Complete the online eCRB form• NB: A criminal record does not automatically stop you being a member

2. Complete your health declaration• Just to confirm you are generally fit and well!

3. Return two completed references 1. Your referee must have known you for at least two years2. Your referee cannot be a relative or member of SJA

4. Complete your first aid training!

New SJA Member Joining Process

* Exact details of what forms of ID are necessary will be given during the interview.. A passport and a driving license (card and paper parts) is usually enough.


Important dates – SJA First Aider

Mon 08/Oct/2012 :: Module 1: Introduction and Safeguarding

Sun 07/Oct – Sun 14/Oct :: Interviews / CRB paperwork• Various dates / times – TBC• Thursday 4th October (17:00-19:00) @ Lionel Street• Mix of By appointment only / turn up sessions

Sat 20, Sun 21 Oct/2012 :: Modules 2-7• Being a first aider with SJA• Completion allows you to attend events as a Trainee First Aider (TFA)

Sat 03, Sun 04 Nov/2012 :: Modules 9-14

Sun 02/Dec/2012 :: Module 15: Role Assessments• Successful completion results in you being a qualified SJA first aider • Free Certificate!!

Modules 1-14 must be completed before attempting your role assessment (Module 15)!!Including Module 8 – you must attend a minimum of two events as a Trainee First Aider, where you will get a chance to try it out, but without any pressure!


• You will learn a LOT by becoming an SJA first aider

• We do not pay trainers for their time – Trainers are volunteers too!– ... Though pizza or cake-shaped 'incentives' may be offered ;)

• Resources are limited

• Therefore, there is an expectation that you will be volunteering to provide some event cover once fully trained!– Approx. 50 event-hours/academic year

SJA Membership - Note...


• The Committee run the unit/society

• Some aspects of committee work involve handling paperwork for existing members or handling SJA monies– These roles require SJA membership

• A single committee for two groups:– Aston LINKS – the society– Aston LINKS – the SJA unit– (on paper, there is also a third: Aston LINKS – the SJA Induction Unit..

Details available if you really want to know, but in practice it does not apply to LINKS units)

Committee Membership


• All roles require, else strongly desire SJA membership*

Upcoming Committee Positions

• AGM– Held at the end of February

/ beginning of March– SJA Committee (free)

Residential Training Weekend • 15th/16th/17th March 2013• Weekend before the last

week before Easter break

• EGM– Monday 22nd October – @19:00– The constitution, role

descriptions and details of any vacancies will be published and freely available beforehand


Society Members SJA Members

Week 1 Welcome Talk

Week 2 Module 1: Safeguarding and Induction

Week 3

Week 4 EGM

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10 XMAS Social

Week 11

Term 1 Plan [Monday Nights]


• You are here tonight because you are interested in first aid• We are here because we are also interested in first aid

• We want to make sure that the Monday night sessions are as interesting as possible, but to do that we first need to find out what you are interested in

• One question: What do you hope to get from joining Aston LINKS?

Over to you..


Popcorn

• Play Video – Popcorn– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiJjkNN3z5M

• The training we provide you with gives you the skills to act in a crisis – wherever and whenever you’re called upon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiJjkNN3z5M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiJjkNN3z5M


Be the difference

• Every year, up to 150,000* people die in situations where first aid could have given them a chance to live

• You can be the difference between life and death.


@AstonLINKS

• Any questions– Committee members available now

• Twitter: @AstonLINKS• Facebook: http://facebook.com/AstonLINKS• Email:

– Training: [email protected] – SJA Membership: [email protected] – Society Membership: [email protected] – General: [email protected]

• Website:– http://members.sja.org.uk/WMids/LINKS/Aston

• Write your name and email on the register!– Include if you are interested in becoming a first aider!

https://twitter.com/AstonLINKS

http://facebook.com/AstonLINKS





http://members.sja.org.uk/WMids/LINKS/Aston

aston links - welcome talk 2012

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