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Action on first aid in schools will be louder than kind words

Freya Fernie and her mum Jody are supporting The Courier's First Aid Kids campaign. 
Jody feared her daughter, 2, would die before an heroic lifesaver stepped in to save the choking toddler.
Freya Fernie and her mum Jody are supporting The Courier's First Aid Kids campaign. Jody feared her daughter, 2, would die before an heroic lifesaver stepped in to save the choking toddler.

Seven days ago The Courier launched our First Aid Kids, Scotland’s army of lifesavers campaign and the response from the public and across public life in Scotland has been phenomenal.

The campaign is based upon our belief that every child in Scotland should be taught the skills to save a life during their school years, not just those who happen to live in the right area where training is provided or, even as it is in some cases, in the right class.

First aid skills save lives. Period.

Even assuming an ambulance is summoned the second a person hits the floor, there is necessarily a delay in that emergency crew arriving on scene to deliver treatment.

By upskilling the nation – as is the ultimate ambition of our First Aid Kids campaign – the chances increase that someone with the skills to assist will be close at hand.

There is no argument that those first seconds and minutes after someone takes ill can be the difference between life and death.

So why not give a tot the confidence to dial 999 for help when mummy or daddy takes ill at home?

So simple, but so impactful.

Why not give young people the skills to place someone into the recovery position if they collapse in the street?

And why would we not want more people out on the streets with the knowledge to provide CPR, a technique which which markedly improves the chances of someone surviving an acute medical episode such as a heart attack.

Within three days, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the four opposition party leaders at Holyrood had all rallied behind the First Aid Kids banner.

Their support is hugely welcome.

VIDEO: Nicola Sturgeon backs The Courier’s first aid campaign during visit to Dundee

But before we all fall down a self-congratulatory rabbit hole, it must be remembered that what we have right now is warm words but not action.

It is too important a subject to let slip into the ether.

The real success will only come when our young people are receiving first aid lessons as a matter of course in school and we start to build that lifesaving knowledge base amongst the public.

It won’t be easy or quick to do and it will require a degree of flexibility from government, COSLA, individual local authorities and schools to implement.

But we have a real chance to make Scotland a better, safer society.

I hope we grasp it.