First Aid Training by Multi-Skill Ltd.

12/09/2025

Thank you Athlone Gymnastics Club for this positive review. It was lovely to work with you.

12/09/2025

Delighted to be published in the Westmeath Independent. Here's the article:
https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/2025/09/04/first-aid-aed-courses-in-athlone/

First Aid & AED Courses in Athlone:
Accidents don’t wait. Heart attacks don’t warn you. Choking, seizures, sudden collapse — they happen in the middle of a workday, in your local café, at the school gate.

The first 3–5 minutes after a cardiac arrest are critical. Without CPR or defibrillation, a person’s chance of survival drops by 10% every minute.

If someone collapsed in front of you today, would you know what to do?

How to take action: Learn how to check for response and breathing. Know how to use an AED (they’re simpler than a phone!). Practice CPR in a safe, hands-on setting. Look out for where AEDs are located near your home and workplace.

Accredited and certified courses are run each month at the Bounty, Athlone by John Bruton of MultiSkill Health & Safety Training. They offer: Accredited First Aid Responder (FAR), Heartsaver AED and Manual Handling. MultiSkill can also run courses at your workplace, school or community group.

With 20 years of experience and over 200 5-star Google reviews, Multiskill delivers high-quality, fully certified training that meets Irish health and safety standards. Upcoming dates: www.multiskill.ie.

John Bruton is also a core member of Athlone Defibrillator group, a volunteer group working to have an AED available within 4 minutes of any cardiac arrest that happens in Athlone.

Accidents don’t wait. Heart attacks don’t warn you. Choking, seizures, sudden collapse — they happen in the middle of a workday, in your local café, at the school gate.

25/07/2025

Castledaly Community Centre Defibrilator Training. Well done to all involved for upskilling to be able to potentially save a life

23/05/2025

Is your AED in the right place? Try this quick test:

Pick a random spot in your building and pretend someone collapsed there.

Time how long it takes to grab an AED and get back.

More than 4 minutes? You need more AEDs or better placement.

This timing model comes from early 2000s AHA guidelines, but we still use it because it works. Current AHA and ERC guidelines still say the same thing: fast CPR + fast defibrillation = best chance.

Just saying "we have an AED" isn't enough.

You need to think about:

• How many you have

• Where they're located

• How quickly someone can grab one

20/05/2025

When someone's heart suddenly stops (cardiac arrest), it can go into a chaotic rhythm called VF that basically stops blood flow. Without quick action, they'll lose consciousness and die within minutes.

Time is everything here.

Without CPR and a defibrillator:

• Survival drops 7-10% every minute nothing happens

• After 10 minutes? Chances of survival are pretty much zero

But here's the good news: when CPR starts right away and a defibrillator (AED) is used within 3-4 minutes, survival jumps to 30% or higher. In places with super-quick emergency response, it can reach 70%!

CPR buys time by keeping oxygen flowing.

The defibrillator is what actually saves lives.

Knowing these skills could help you save someone's life someday.

28/03/2025

Another week of first aid training courses completed at the Bounty, Athlone today.

We had some fun with a scenario of someone having an epileptic fit at a nightclub dancing to Saturday Night Fever with disco lights. It was successfully handled by the group of newly qualified first aiders. Well done all!

13/03/2025

Congrats on the fine community initiative Drumraney Community Defibrillator Group

In a Cardiac Emergency, seconds count. Having AEDs 24/7 Rescue Ready in the community could be the difference between life and death.

21/02/2025

From 1st March 2025, paper Phecc FAR certs will no longer be issued. The paper certs will make way for e-certs. The new e-certs will have a QR code to verify its authenticity. Your cert can be stored on your phone. We welcome this move

04/12/2024

🚑 December First Aid Training Courses in Athlone 🏥

Complete your PHECC-certified First Aid Response (FAR) training in Athlone this December. For many, this certification is required by their workplace—ensure your certification is up to date.

✅ Hands-on training in CPR, AED use, and managing emergencies
✅ Certified by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC)
✅ Recognised by the Irish Health and Safety Authority
✅ Includes all training materials and a 2-year certificate
✅ Instructors with decades of experience

🚑 3 Day Course: 11-13th Dec 2024
🧰 2 Day Refresher: 17-18th Dec 2024
📍 Location: Athlone Buccaneers Rugby Club
📅 Duration: 09:30 AM - 4:30 PM
💶 Price: €290

⏳ A few places remaining. You can book now via the MultiSkill website 🌟