WMAS lorry initiative

Lorry drivers are to be trained in life saving first aid with help from West Midlands Ambulance Service as part of a national road safety initiative.

Driver First Assist (DFA), launched at the Commercial Vehicles Show in Birmingham, is an initiative to provide professional drivers with first aid training to help at the scene of road traffic collisions whilst emergency services are en route.

Supported by all three emergency services through the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Chief Fire Officers Association, the training programme for DFA has been produced by West Midlands Ambulance Service with input from the Central Motorways Police Group.

The one-day course covers life-saving first aid and scene management enabling lorry drivers to give vital aid if they come across a road traffic collision. Drivers from the logistics industry are to be the first to receive training in the coming months. The training also counts towards the profession’s Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

The Trust will be running ‘Train the Trainer’ courses to fellow ambulance services through the NHS Ambulance Service First Aid training consortium (NASFA) over the next few months to provide local trainers across the country to support the DFA initiative.

AACE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of West Midlands Ambulance Service, Dr Anthony Marsh said: “The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives is delighted to endorse this important programme. “We look forward to working in partnership with DFA to ensure the highest standard of first aid training is provided to all who participate. Sadly, road traffic collisions sometimes result in people suffering life-threatening injuries where every minute counts to their chances of survival.

“By providing professional drivers, who are often first to witness or come across such incidents, with basic life support training and the knowledge to know what to do will ultimately mean patients get the care they need whilst emergency help is en route.”

David Higginbottom from Driver First Assist said: “We believe we have an effective strategy to train a significant number of drivers, starting with HGV drivers. Our vision is for thousands of trained personnel equipped to take action in the first critical moments after an RTC.”