Today marks the 20th anniversary of BEAT!
Our first training session was held on this day in 2005 and was run by the Red Cross; it was very different to the initial courses new CFRs have to do today. It was the then Sussex Ambulance Service which advertised for people to volunteer to become CFRs. Paul, who is still a CFR today, remembers the initial training, reflecting that “the session started late as our trainer and initial Team Leader Trevor had come across an accident in Billingshurst on the way. The training consisted of basic life support, oxygen administration and defibrillator use. It’s incredible to think that then, we were trained to use a simple pocket mask when carrying out CPR, and now we can use bag/valve/masks (BVMs) and 3 different types of airway management devices; we now also carry and can administer certain drugs. This highlights the huge changes in our skill set and equipment, and how the CFR role has evolved in the past 2 decades; certainly our kits have grown and our training has changed enormously over the years!”
Everyone involved with BEAT is proud to serve our community, and we would like to thank all our former CFRs and Trustees and everyone who has supported the team in the past 20-years. Don’t forget to check out our new website for more about our team, our charity and the work of CFRs.
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