News

Open for training

New opportunities for learning. Due to local and possible national impending restrictions, we are offering blended learning on our courses for those who cannot or do not want to travel. This is being activated over the next 7 days to coincide with our new website.

The first qualification with this option is First Response Emergency Care (FREC 3). We are approved by Qualsafe to hold theory modules via your PC, combined with two days practical training at our three classrooms in the Peak District.

This interactive and tutor lead experience means you can interact via PC from the comfort of your own home, paying for FREC 3 modules as you go and at a time to suit as we have day, weekend and evening slots available. You can see details of how this works for the FREC 3 here

Further details will be released over the next few days for other first aid and prehospital care qualifications.

Outdoor First Aid 16hrs

Outdoor First Aid Courses are still held 8-10 times a month in the Peak District. There are plenty of scene changes with some lessons held in the immersive classroom, plenty of practical training for the use of haemostats and tourniquets and skill stations outside on the lawn or in the woods. We are managing the COVID-19 situation well by providing face masks for working inside or less than a metre outside. The outdoor first aid lessons are held in a variety of wilderness terrain right on our doorstep so we can still have access to hot soap and water for hand washing.

Course dates can be seen by clicking Outdoor First Aid.

Clinell 100 wipes in stock at a sensible price

These Clinell wipes are strong and clean a wide area in a single wipe. This Clinell wipe is suitable for use on hands and equipment and kills 99.99% of bacteria and viruses including Coronavirus. We use them for cleaning our training facility and our mannequins.

These Clinell wipes are great for use around the home, car, workplace and wiping down food packaging. You can buy them here.

Face Masks in stock at a sensible price

Immersive learning for all First Aid Training

The first week back to full-time first aid training and introducing our immersive classroom. After 23 years of providing first aid training for urban and remote environments it has been amazing to see the results of immersive learning on our participants. The reduced group size due to COVID-19 has meant more time for practical work in and out of the classroom. Rotating through five individual scenarios for Primary Survey, CPR with management of Hypo and Hyperthermia has been incredible as it is possible to put every lesson into context if needed along with group discussions. This is active learnings at it’s best.

About five years ago, I thought an MSc in Risk, Crisis and Disaster Management at the University of Leicester seemed like a good idea. It did not cross my mind it would be a mammoth undertaking by distance learning whilst managing a very busy company. I survived: just. I concocted a dissertation that stated, ” Does competency in wilderness first aid training increase by using simulations involving injects and reflective feedback after active and experiential learning?”

The title seemed a good idea at the time until I found that there was only one, yes, only one other piece of literature available after a very extensive search. Staff at The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in the USA had written a paper. I figured they were the first and managed it so I could be the second. It worked, I passed and it wasn’t too shabby as I screamed into the finish line on time.

The immersive classroom though, is the final piece in the jigsaw. After one week of training I am amazed at the results I am having on our first aid courses. I also know that the first week has only scratched the surface of what can be achieved.

The first people to use the immersive classroom were the Wilderness First Aid 16hr courses. The next course will be First Response Emergency Care (FREC3) Having to adapt all first aid training due to COVID-19 was challenging but easily overcome by a combination of immersive classroom and the ability to step straight outside into wilderness terrain when needed.

I have spent a lot on PPE and specialized, sanitation products as safety is first over profit. I am extending this ethos to provide boxes of face masks at cost to participants for themselves and families. This week will also see the introduction of fill your own empty hand sanitizer bottles from our stock at High Peak First Aid, again at cost.

Last but not least, a big thank you to all the people who kept bookings at High Peak First Aid. As a Ltd Company Director I took the decision to not furlough as I could not have worked on the company and kept my customer service available.

I have personally trained over 23,000 people. I think I have it in me for another 23,000!