Scout First Aid Teams

Over the years in addition to being a scout leader I have attended many scout camps and Jamborees providing first aid cover to the participants. At the Jamborees I worked with three Scout First Aid Teams out of the many that exist in Ireland and the UK. These are the Fat Fellows Fellowship (Ireland), Eastbourne District Scouts First Aid Team and the Cambridge Scouts First Aid Team.

We have worked together so far at Norjam 2001, Irish Jamboree 2008 and Kent Jamboree 2009. At each of the three events it was very obvious to me that all of the members were dedicated to their role and worked together as well if not better than a professional hospital based team. Why better you ask?, a hospital based team does not have to deal with mud and rain and floods (those that were at the Irish Jamboree of 2008 may recall me pleading over the radio for rescue saying the only way out was swimming!, needless to say we swam!).

For me the crowning point of the teams professionalism came during the Kent Jamboree in 2009 when the Fat Fellows and the Eastbourne District Scouts First Aid team came together for the second time in a year and on the day that our resident doctor was unavailable due to work committments. That day became the busiest day for the team with four ambulances being called and arriving on the two separate sites within the same 30 minute period. It is a testimonial to the professionalism of the staff that none of the ambulances went to the wrong patient. The poor Community First Responder that did turn up could do little more than report back to Ambulance Control as we already had Technicians and Nurses on site at the incidents!.

The good news is that the Eastbourne District Scouts First Aid Team have recently replaced their ambulance with a newer one to ensure that they do not get caught out by the London Congestion Charges while covering events in the areas bounded by the convestion charges etc.

There are many of these Scout First Aid teams around the country but I can only speak for the ones that I have been with and I am very impressed by them. I look forward to spending a lot more time with them when I am in the UK doing the course and beyond.

If you have any interest in joining any of the teams please contact them! They are a great bunch of lads and lassies especially when the water pistols come out.....