Does anyone know where and if we can get the old style large first aid badges? We have had some sent througth for newly qualified cadets but they are the new small style ones as with the ACF for the blanking plate.
You’ll find it difficult, as the smaller type are the only ones still being produced. If you manage to find any, it’ll only be a temporary fix.
The small badges are here to stay, I’m afraid.
You could have a batch manufactured according to the old pattern, but you’re unlikely to get them for less than £1 each. Embroidered or woven badges/patches are quite expensive.
You can still get the Green AFA badge in large (5cmx5cm) format from cadet direct
http://www.cadetdirect.com/st-john-ambulance-instructor-badge-woven
Strangely you can get the Red YLS Plus badge in large format too but that is the old course before it became Youth First Aid. They do look identical to the YFA badge though, other than the wording.
http://www.cadetdirect.com/st-john-ambulance-yls-plus-first-aid-badge
MB
Rumour is we will be moving to having the badge on the brassard and on MTP as its more likely to be needed in the field.
I’ve been a first aider for 27 years at work and never had a badge and can’t quite see why we need them in the ACO.
Haven’t we been doing that for years?
Why would it be more likely needed in the field? Whoever is OC should have a list of first-aiders and they know who they are anyway.
I’m a first aid trainer\assessor and I don’t wear a badge.
[quote=“glass half empty 2” post=23808]I’ve been a first aider for 27 years at work and never had a badge and can’t quite see why we need them in the ACO.[/quote]Surely we have badges for lots of things, not necessarily because we need them.
Having the first aid badge is pointless, as the cadets are more likely to do any related activities when they aren’t in uniform or even on a cadet activity, if my own personal experience of a being first aider in the workplace is anything to go by.
If my experience with competition first aid is relevant then the badges are pointless in any uniform as the first thing the first aider will do is announce the fact to the casualty 
A bit like pilots then… 
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[quote=“glass half empty 2” post=23842]Having the first aid badge is pointless, as the cadets are more likely to do any related activities when they aren’t in uniform or even on a cadet activity, if my own personal experience of a being first aider in the workplace is anything to go by.[/quote]My point was that first aid badges aren’t there to indicate a first aider as such (as generally the primary first aider will be a member of staff) but simply to record achievement, like classification badges, marksmanship awards and walking badges.
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So does that mean we are still allowed to sew on the large size badges? If so is there an ACP or an AP that can confirm this because I have bought the large badge (which is absolutely identical to the small badge) and I don’t want to feel like I’ve wasted my money.
AP1358C v1.07, para 0413 refers.
I can’t help but wonder why someone would choose to purchase their own “old style” badge, when the (basically identical, but slightly smaller) “new style” badge is provided for free.
What’s the fuss about having a slightly larger badge?
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Because the smaller one looks crap?
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Maybe they just want the badge this decade. We’re still waiting on badges from January.
for the same reasons people choose to purchase MTP-PCS when CS95 is available free?
This isn’t quite the same is it?
People purchase PCS because they want the latest pattern, even if CS95 is free. Here, we’re talking about buying a basically identical badge for an unknown reason.
I suspect it’s primarily because the small one looks awful.
Why can’t we move to smaller badges for a lot of things and do away with the multiple permutations for brassards?
All the badge does is show that the cadets have achieved something, its size is irrelevant.
Having a larger badge just creates problems. I’ve got cadets with different brassards and needs to be a different brassard if they move to a different permutation, or they look crap if they start moving badges around.
The real solution is ditch all but classification, marksman and band badges for brassards, like we used to. Looked much smarter IMO.
When it comes to the brassard I wish someone would take the time to actually measure the brassard and the badges before deciding where they go and apply some proper mathematical thinking.