First Aid Services Training 4U - FAST 4U

10/12/2025

SNAKE BITE blog: With Summer now upon us in the southern hemisphere, it is timely to remind readers about the CORRECT TREATMENT for SNAKE BITE:
1. Stay calm, panic kills! Use local area emergency phone numbers to all for an ambulance - in Australia call 000 or 112.

2. Antivenom is not effective against ALL venomous snakebites. Its effectiveness depends heavily on the specific snake species, geographic region, and the venom's composition, requiring specific antivenoms, though new "universal" types are in development, and some existing ones cover broad regional groups.

3. Do NOT wash the bite site. There may be some venom lying on the surface which could be useful to correctly identify the type of snake by chemists when the casualty arrives at the hospital or health service.

4. For two reasons, do NOT attempt to capture or kill the snake: - Firstly, antagonising the creature will only upset it, possibly causing it to lash out and bite those chasing it, possibly leading to MORE CASUALTIES.
- Secondly, in Australia at least, ALL snakes are protected species. You could be fined for your actions.

5. Many snakes, particularly older ones, will initially strike with a ‘dry’ bite, i.e. containing no venom, as a warning bite; whereas younger snakes may not initially use a ‘dry’ bite. As such, treat ALL snake bites as ‘wet’ bites, i.e. containing venom.

6. Apply a broad bandage over the bite site, then apply a constrictive bandage along the length of the limb. Newly-designed snake bite bandages have a series of rectangles along their length. When stretched and applied correctly the rectangles should form squares.
6A) If applying the bandage to the victim’s injured arm, start bandaging from their fingers working along the arm to their armpit. Then place the casualty’s injured arm by their side and apply a broad bandage around their body as a body splint.
6B) If applying the bandage to the victim’s injured leg, remove their shoes and start bandaging up the leg starting at their toes, working all the way to the top of their leg. Then place the casualty’s legs side by side and apply a broad bandage around both legs as a body splint.

7. The casualty should sit or lie down and wait for medical assistance to arrive at the scene, e.g. an ambulance. Do NOT allow them to stand, move around, or run anywhere. Avoid body movement which will cause the poison to move along the casualty’s injured arm or leg using their body’s lymphatic system, to be dispersed into the rest of their body via their lymph glands in their armpit or groin.

Good luck and best wishes to everyone for a safe and pleasant Summer, here in Australia!

21/07/2025

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are simple to use and are the best tool we have to save the lives of the 26,000 Australians who will have a sudden cardiac arrest each year...
.. but recently, a decision has been made that in NSW, police crews who have been conducting a trial of AEDs in patrol cars have been ordered to remove them from patrol cars as their use has been deemed not to be part of the police's operational matters.

For context, South Australia has just mandated AEDs in all emergency service vehicles. From 1 January 2026, that state will also mandate AEDS on public transport. Can you believe it? Bus drivers in South Australia will be better equipped to respond to a medical emergency than NSW Police!

Senior police from NSW Police have offered only flaky excuses for their decision, and the reasons for their removal were factually incorrect, but as a trusted community agency NSW Police risked misinforming the community as to how safe and easy AEDs are to use. They made it sound hard and scary, which could not be further from the truth.

For the record, you cannot be hurt or sued using an AED and you absolutely do not need training – they are, by design, made for anyone to grab and use should someone nearby go into cardiac arrest. Just open them, select your language and follow the voice-guided instructions.

With around 10 minutes to save a person’s life when their heart stops beating, it is VITALLY IMPORTANT that whoever is first on scene, and that is often the police, should have access to an AED. Sports clubs, schools, workplaces, other emergency services all have them. Police should be no different.

NSW Police – it’s time to put AEDs back in your patrol cars. I don’t for a moment believe there’s a single serving police officer who would walk past a person having a cardiac arrest, and it’s on Police Command to ensure they have the right tools to do so.

NSW Premier Minns, please step in and put an end to this madness. We need more, not less, AEDs in places so people can access them. This includes in all police cars!

06/07/2025

Training CPR compression techniques on manikins that are representative of males and FEMALES (as used in our CPR/First Aid classes here at First Aid Services Training 4U, FAST 4U) may help people feel more comfortable in a real-life emergency…

Academic studies published in the journal ‘Health Promotion International’, and St John Ambulance in the UK, have found that, sadly, women are less likely to receive life-saving first aid from bystanders in public places due to embarrassment and fear of failure due to lack of training… so here at FAST 4U we have introduced the opportunity to train with new manikins that have simulated breasts (as well as the usual training manikins without breasts) placing us as leaders in the local First Aid training industry!

Surprising to many people, the ‘Health Promotion International’ study found that most CPR manikins currently on the world market don’t have breasts, which, it found, means that students don’t often have the opportunity to train on ‘female’ manikins which in turn contributes towards women being less likely to receive life-saving first aid from bystanders!
Similarly, a survey by St John Ambulance in the UK, found women who go into cardiac arrest in public are less likely than men to receive chest compressions from bystanders due to concerns about touching the breasts of these female casualties.
CPR compression technique is no different for men and women, and training on manikins representative of both sexes may help people feel more comfortable. To assist our students, we have introduced CPR manikins that simulate a female chest as well as the usual ones with ‘male’ chests, so that our students have the opportunity to practise this important skill in controlled classroom activities using ‘both types’ of manikins.
To prepare for cardiac emergencies, with training opportunities with male AND FEMALE manikins, book your CPR and First Aid training session with us here at First Aid Services Training 4U - FAST 4U on 0409 251 523.

05/07/2025

Get early access + discount. Only 200 per colour released.

18/04/2025

UPDATED ACRONYM for Medical 'STROKE': B E F A S T
Signs & Symptoms for treatment for STROKE have been updated: and the usual acronym, 'F A S T' has a couple of EXTRA letters. it's now 'B E F A S T'. In addition to the usual 'FAST', B & E, there are now two extra letters preceding it, i.e. B & E. The B stands for Balance and the E stands for Eyesight - limitations of a person's balance and eyesight can be signs and symptoms of a medical 'Stroke' emergency. So, now if you are faced with the possibility of a casualty suffering from a STROKE, you need to think and act to BE FAST!

13/03/2025

South Australians now have access to life-saving equipment in a cardiac emergency in more locations across the state thanks to nation-leading legislation passed by the State Government.
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) became mandatory from 1 January 2025, under the Automated External Defibrillator (Public Access) Act 2022. They are now required in all State Government-owned buildings and venues. They will be mandated from January 1 2026, for other facilities such as universities, libraries, sporting facilities, community centres, theatres, swimming pools and other public buildings, as well as in emergency service vehicles, in trains, trams and in public buses.
To ensure the community is aware the device is available, signage is also required to be installed outside the building or facility where they are located and near the AED itself.
These laws are world-leading and will help to save lives.
👏👍

12/02/2025

The Historic Rally Association is conducting a Motorsport Safety training activity, which i am facilitating. it's on Saturday 22 & 23 February 2025. Here's the link:

Join the Historic Rally Association and Motorsport Australia for First Aid and RallySafe Training on 22 & 23 February at Manningham Hotel, Bulleen. Each day features a First Aid session in the …

09/11/2024

With Colin Clark Rally – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉