First Aid Equipment

[brassedoff]

Me and my Dad have been talking today about what would happen if we were in the middle of no where on a Canal hours away from any Emergency Service attendance, so basically weve come up with the idea of getting some first response training so we can do as much as possible to help someone if the need arose.

We are going to go on a decent first aid course and invest in a Defibulator and get some training on it.

 

The one below is £998 but its welll woth having if it saves someone........

Can someone give us some advice how to deal with directing Emergency Services over a telephone when your moored up in the middle of no where >?

Are Hand Held GPS Units a good thing to have and would a 999 call handler know how to place the position of where we are by giving a gps longitude/latitude. >?


(i do joke around on other threads but this ones is not a place to joke)

thanks.

Edited July 31, 2015 by brassedoff

[Arthur Brown]

The HSE FAW course probably covers all you will ever forget, the FPoS (first person on scene) may be a little better, BUT in reality unless you are at specific risk a simple HSE workplace first aid kit for your boat's capacity (people!) and read the instructions, will be fine!

 

As for interfacing with the ambulance service remember they will come by road so you need to know how to access the canal where you are from the roadside preferably without a ten mile walk. Even better if you can give them the postcode of the pub who's car park they will have to use to get to you. A typical ambulance crew will NOT understand national grid or lat long and their satnav may not give them that option anyway.

 

If you have a specific risk factor then get to understand it from your GP before you pay money for a first aid kit that may not meet your needs.

 

As for a defib, don't bother unless YOU or YOURS are at particular risk, the battery is usually not replaceable and lasts 1 -3 years and the pads are seriously expensive and not reusable.

Edited July 31, 2015 by Arthur Brown

[brassedoff]

Thanks for answerig Authur, i just want to be prepared thats all i have heart rate issues from medication and my dad is not all that well.

 

Thanks for letting me know about the battery/pad issues, even if i needed to replace it every year it would be worth it as a piece of mind.

 

Its a tough call this because i was hoping to just go solo and have a few nights a week cruising away from the Marina, but your reply made me think yes i need to be near a local known post code that the ambulance can work from.

 

Your post has helped thanks Authur, i will still go for the Defib anyway who knows it may end up helping someone on another boat or a ramlber.

Edited August 1, 2015 by brassedoff

[GoodGurl]

if you dial 999 or 112 you will be instantly tracked by the emergency services, it uses a method called triangulation and can pinpoint where you are.

[brassedoff]

if you dial 999 or 112 you will be instantly tracked by the emergency services, it uses a method called triangulation and can pinpoint where you are.

Thanks goodgurl, I've had that happen but it takes a long time.

 

Being honest I just worry about me mum n dad.

 

Just want to remove the worry.

[Alan de Enfield]

We have a defib - batteries can be replaced ( 5 year standby life) and the pads need changing every (from memory) 5 years

When the batteries or pads need changing the unit has a very insistent 'beep' so you don't forget.

 

Our replacement battery was £120 + VAT

Pads were about £100 + VAT

 

Examples here :

 

http://www.thedefibpad.co.uk/batteries-and-charges/

 

You should also have a portable oxygen set as normally when a defib is needed the patient requires oxygen as well.

 

Our 'set-up' (Defib, carrying bag, Oxygen & basic first aid kit) cost about £2000.

 

Our local St Johns Ambulance run courses on de-fib, oxygen, and resuscitation (free of charge - just give a donation)

Edited August 1, 2015 by Alan de Enfield

[Alan de Enfield]

I have one of these in the 'boat grab bag'

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sea-Marshall-Personal-Locator-Beacon-SOS-Alerting-Unit-AU9-WF/221503797975?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D29974%26meid%3Dc700de6e7a3c4b84820a045cc7191ff1%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D181817514254

 

It operates on 121.5 Mhz which is the world wide civilian 'guard channel' and is monitored by all aircraft - a passenger jet at 40,000 will still pick up the signal. Once received the emergency services are notified and a triangulation will be made. A helicopter should be with you within 'minutes'

 

You do not need to talk to anyone, and you do not need to know where you are.

 

It is not a toy, and should not be activated without good reason - activating it gets all the emergency services 'on the move'.

 

I do like the look of these :

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SML-Technologies-Ultra-Electronics-Personal-Locator-Beacon-Wristwatch-/331590011153?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4d344e0911

[Paul C]

You can overthink it, but I don't think there's any massive issue so long as you more or less keep track of where you are. Do this by knowing what canal you're on and looking at the bridge numbers. I suppose unless you know the canal well, then carrying a map such as Pearson or Nicholsons would make sense. If you're on a boat and a medical emergeny occurred, sometimes the best course would be to stay where you are; but sometimes it might be to continue onwards to an easier place to liase/meet. If there is poor/no road access, and the medical situation is serious enough, they may be able to send an air ambulance.

 

We have only needed to call 999 twice while on the boat (both for fires, not our boat) and one one occasion decribed our location by canal and between the two bridges we gave them. They parked at the bridge furthest away and walked about 1/2 mile.....

 

On the other occasion they got the fire engine up the towpath, due to an access point:

 

[arbutus]

A bit off topic, but if you are doing a complete risk assessment, have you got enough equipment on board in case someone falls in.

 

My wife fell into the Staffs & Worcs canal. Having a lifebuoy with a line attached was literally a life saver. I was able to pull her into the side of the canal.

 

We then had a problem getting her out of canal as she was in shock, in very cold water, with a damaged shoulder, caused by her falling in.

 

After that incident I carried a rope ladder that could be either hung over a bollard at the stern (after the engine was switched off), or could be secured to the towpath with a mooring pin.

 

I also carried an old wooden ladder on the roof for emergencies.

[Dinz]

What about if locks n bridges had a postcode marked on them?

Would that assist?

Came upon an incident a couple of years ago with a walker with angina / heart attack!?

They were trying to explain to ambulance service location was a bit hard whilst stressing.

The person renting the lock cottage arrived, gave postcode and all came together.

Not all on the system are location aware but almost everyone gets what a postcode is.

Just a thought.

[Arthur Brown]

When on land, or canal, access is a major issue. sometimes an urban canal has no access for miles or there are secured gates across private roads. If your needs are extreme then making your own map of your locality with access details is your only way of meeting the emergency services, and you should be able to move the boat to an accessible position.

 

In towns a single building or business may have it's own post code, in more remote areas a whole block of fields and houses may share one postcode.

 

To remember about defibs - they regularly self test to their full working voltage (about 1700v) so they do NOT like being damp or they self test to destruction. IF you do buy one then keep it dry.

 

At sea where help is remote then a crew member on board with some skill is good, in landlocked UK where the emergency services carry lots of kit and skill being able to get them to you is essential -even if you meet somewhere -some on board first aid is good.

[Tom and Bex]

I work for the ambulance service and I don't know how they do it but the location we get sent through from control is usually very accurate, even for outside calls.

 

I will say the best help possible, as a driver, is to have someone on the road waiting for us to wave us down. It's surprising the number of calls we go to that don't have someone waiting for us.

 

As for defib, they can be useful but only in limited circumstances. Getting professional help on scene as quickly as possible whilst carrying out good quality continuous CPR is the most important thing in the rare case of cardiac arrest. This is where first aid courses and being shown how to do effective CPR is worth while. It's also worth mentioning there are increasing numbers of community defibs out there, and the ambulance service will tell you when you phone 999 if there is one near by and how to access it.

 

Also, as mentioned above, having the means to rescue someone, and get them out the water without putting yourself in danger, is one of the most important things whilst out boating.

 

Tom

[craftycarper]

My first aid box carries a box of liquid nurofen, for hangovers and that's it, stop worrying about stuff that may never happen, we live on a tiny island, have know wilderness left and are normally withing an hour of a hospital, if my time to croak comes , on my boat miles from anywhere, I could not think of a better way to go, by the time you cover all the what ifs, you will never have time left to just enjoy your boating, we will all die one day and it will never be the right time , so just enjoy the bit you have

[brassedoff]

Hi everyone, i did not expect such a big responce.

 

Alan you gave everyone who read this some really good info, Tom thanks so much for your advice too.

 

 

 

Right scenario which i should of explained before in detali,

 

A family member has/is having a stroke i have no phone signal ? what do i do if their are no local houses ?

 

 

What is the BEST WAY of dealing with this in reality of getting Ambulance or a First Responder Car to the Boat under the trees in the middle of never never land ?

 

 

 

Alan linked / me towards SOS Transponder';s

Edited August 2, 2015 by brassedoff

[craftycarper]

Hi everyone, i did not expect such a big responce.

 

Alan you gave everyone who read this some really good info, Tom thanks so much for your advice too.

 

 

 

Right scenario which i should of explained before in detali,

 

A family member has/is having a stroke i have no phone signal ? what do i do if their are no local houses ?

 

 

What is the BEST WAY of dealing with this in reality of getting Ambulance or a First Responder Car to the Boat under the trees in the middle of never never land ?

 

 

 

Alan linked / me towards SOS Transponder';s

. My advice would be don't take someone out on your boat that's having a stroke, but on a serious note just phone 999, it's not a third world country and lastly shit happens, so don't try to cover all events,

[brassedoff]

. My advice would be don't take someone out on your boat that's having a stroke, but on a serious note just phone 999, it's not a third world country and lastly shit happens, so don't try to cover all events,

 

Yep i can see what your saying but thats all well and good, if my dad is having a heart attack it could be 1-2 hours before someone shows up.

 

Too bloody late then.

 

theirs nothing wrong with thinking and planning for future problems especially if it saves a life.

 

As Winston Churchill said ; It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.

Edited August 2, 2015 by brassedoff

[valrene9600]

What sticks out from all this is how many ladies who seem to be the majority doing locks can actually move the boat in an emergency if partner incapacitated.

My wife can and has moved the boat with no help. It could be a life saver. Boating is for all the crew. Don,t be just a locker get on that tiller hopefully you might never need the skill.

[ROBDEN]

Not sure if the emergency services use them but the Philip's navigator atlas gives the canals and bridge numbers.

With this they could soon find you and find the access points.

 

Rob....

[valrene9600]

Not sure if the emergency services use them but the Philip's navigator atlas gives the canals and bridge numbers.

With this they could soon find you and find the access points.

 

Rob....

Very handy to get anyone to boat. Full road layout with as you say canals etc overlaid.

[brassedoff]

Not sure if the emergency services use them but the Philip's navigator atlas gives the canals and bridge numbers.

With this they could soon find you and find the access points.

 

Rob....

 

Good idea Rob

[Arthur Brown]

Well London Ambulance have the "Master Atlas of Greater London" on screen in the cab, but my private ambulance employer just gets any (cheap!) satnav or relies on the driver to have their own satnav, all of which throw a wobbly if you are not on a road.

[boots]

This site: http://gb7dl.co.uk/getpostcode/gives the nearest postcode to your location - though I agree not ideal on the cut as it requires Internet connection..

[Bunny]

If your worried about limited phone signal may I suggest 3 or 4 cheap pay as you go telephones . We have 3 different lines and can get signal 99 % of the time. Also a forum member did post a link here the other day to a post code finder (our 3 mifi) works pretty well with that , you could make a note of the postcode on your map after you moor. A while ago in one of the mags featured a boat which had a flashing orange light on the roof that could be switched on in emergencies . Just a few ideas . Bunny

[Bunny]

If your worried about limited phone signal may I suggest 3 or 4 cheap pay as you go telephones . We have 3 different lines and can get signal 99 % of the time. Also a forum member did post a link here the other day to a post code finder (our 3 mifi) works pretty well with that , you could make a note of the postcode on your map after you moor. A while ago in one of the mags featured a boat which had a flashing orange light on the roof that could be switched on in emergencies . Just a few ideas . Bunny

[Murflynn]

a lesson I learned from several exercises run in remote jungle areas in Myanmar.

 

ONLY one person at the incident site must be totally responsible for communications.

 

most delays occurred because of conflicting/confusing information received by the emergency coordinator from different sources.