Im about to see about my non SJA first aid course being accepted by the ATC. It is basically a 5 days course for being in charge of medical care and first aid onboard Ships anywhere in the world. All the content of AFA and FAAW, as well as dealing with deaths, delivering babies, inserting catherters, injections and administering controlled drugs and suturing amongst others, although I certainly hope these little extras are never needed for any Cadet first aid!
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Diving medical technician course covers the same sort of syllabus.
Iāve got people on the squadron whose first experience of first aid is the AFA, no interest before and little afterwards, as theyāve only done it to lose the HQAC gnat nagging at them to do it.
If you want people who are keen and switched on, you donāt do it by making it mandatory. Make something mandatory, especially in a voluntary organisation context, anyone with a modicum of intelligence will know that the majority of adults do it because they have to not, not because they are interested.
If they made FMS mandatory I would be one of those doing it because I had to, I have no interest in any way. I did a BELA because I have an intrinsic interest and enjoy it, yet there are many who donāt.
Letās face it first aid is mandatory in the Air Cadets only because HQAC can get CFAV to deliver it, if it was something they were paying for through a proper external training organisation, it would not be mandatory.
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If it is mandatory for all cfav, and a uniformed cfav can claim pay for two days when he does it , (Iām presuming they can?)ā¦should a non uniform cfav not be recompensed for their time as well?
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That idea opens a can of worms, but it is a really good idea regarding mandatory training. But HQAC want it all on the cheap.
As a qualified paramedic, I have been asked why I donāt have AFAā¦
Ive known CI whos day time life as an A&E consultant being insisted upon going on an AFA courseā¦also being told they are unable to teach first aid 
Point them to ACTO 8 Annex O, Footnotes in Para1 table.
And I was being sarcastic, oh dear.
Just out of interest, do Sqn Pardres get counted as CFAVs for purposes of first aid? I can understand if they go off squadron or go to camp but ours doesnāt.
Believe so
Realistically (Iām not talking RAFAC here) isnāt it about ratios?
Adventure Trainingā¦1:10
If you take 20 Cadets camping and have four staff because extra hands etcā¦
Surely two need AFA, others donāt really matter.
According to our regional chaplain, yes they do.
Also,
(my bold)
No. Realistically, its about covering backsides - and that overly friendly relationship we have with SJA.
AT wise most NGBs require you to revalid your FA ticket every X years with a course relevant to your needs.
I hold canoeing quals and walking quals. The last AFA course i did was a lovely intro. But didnt cover nearly as much as i felt relevant to the environments i work in. FAaW is similar.
A REC2 or REC3 course would be far more appropriate for me personally - but i need to put my hand in my pocket for that - because RAFAC is soooo tied up with SJA, that they cant - or wont - offer it!
And now SJA/CorpsFA have stressed ādont deviate from the syllabusā instructors cant even make it relevant to the students infront of them.
So instead i find myself resitting AFA courses every 3 years to get a tick in the box.
#truestory
Interesting in that padres will work at the weekend when the courses are run. The vast majority of parishes or now ministry teams will āworkā 4 or 5 churches, with maybe 3 clergy. Which makes you wonder who would be running a mid-week course. Again top detached from the bottom.
They only heed Heartstart - I am sure they can spare a couple of hours in an evening every 3 years!
If they canāt, then no loss!
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I would bet theyād be expected to do AFA.
if not why do CIs, SNCOs and Officers have to do AFA?
A padre could very well get involved in mid-week thing. Weāve had padres on camps, where they get as involved as anyone else and on several occasions been the chaperone on section and off-site visits.
They dont. You are only required to have heartstart as per Acto 8. Its only if you have further qualifications like AT or shooting that you need something higher.
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Someone needs to tell Wing FA bods as we have been told everyone has to do AFA. When we have the AIs it gets down to a nag and so staff do it just to tick a box which is meaningless and I have made this absolutely clear in my report.
I really despise being drawn to respond to you, but sometimes your views are too daft to leave unchallenged. And I do love how you always talk like your experience is the same as everybody elseās by tarring all Wing FA Officers with the same alleged brush, just as you do with almost everyone who isnāt you. I just canāt let anyone reading this believe that you are the keeper of the incontrovertible truthā¦
Half of the activities we do rightly require first aid cover by people qualified to at least AFA or above. While there shouldnāt be pressure for all to do it as there valid reasons not to, if you want to provide YFA training or any of a whole raft of other activities then AFA (or similar and above) is a very necessary box to tick. Just because you donāt leave your squadron or provide assistance externally, doesnāt mean others donāt, couldnāt, or shouldnāt.
Iād be interested to see the evidence that your Wing bod is trying to force all staff to do it though.
That aside, tangible and relevant first aid training is a valuable skill to hold regardless. Itās NEVER āmeaninglessā to hold a first aid qualification.
Personally, considering the limitations to Heartstart, Iām surprised there isnāt a more stringent requirement for AFA/FAAW cover within squadrons.
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