Bharat SainiLast Updated on January 5, 2021 by Bharat Saini
When people think of lifesavers, they often think about doctors and nurses. They might even think about firefighters, the police and lifeguards. One service that saves hundreds of lives around the world every day that often goes overlooked is the work of the medical first responders.
Here are three reasons why their work is so vital to saving lives.
Deploying the right equipment
There are lots of things that you can do to prepare for an emergency. You can learn basic first aid to help treat a number of different injuries, whether that’s a suspected broken bone or even remove a blockage from someone’s airway if they are choking. For certain incidents, the person on the other end of the phone when you ring for the emergency services may even be able to guide you step by step through what you need to do to help treat the patient until the emergency services arrive.
The sad reality is that there are some incidents where even the most intensive training isn’t enough to deal with the situation in front of you. Some conditions need certain pieces of medical equipment to be able to deal with them properly. For example, if someone has a problem with their heart, it might be that only the application of a defibrillator will be enough to get it beating at the right rhythm again. Luckily all first responders have all of this vital equipment wherever they go. Many retailers, like Rapid Rescue, sell pieces of vital equipment like this to first responders every day so they are fully prepared for any incident they might be called upon to help with.
Deploying the right expertise
Of course, to get the full benefits of this equipment, you will also need the help of someone who knows how to operate them. Whilst first aid training might give you the knowledge on how to help someone who is injured, no amount of practice scenarios can truly prepare you for having to deal with a real-life patient. It’s also highly likely that if you’re having to treat a friend, a family member or a colleague, you might get emotionally stressed out and panic. As first responders deal with situations like these every day, they’ll know how to treat any problem in a much calmer manner.
Deploying them fast
The major reason why first responders are so vital to saving lives is displayed pretty clearly in their names. As they are able to get to incidents so quickly, they can start the recovery process much sooner than if you had to wait until you arrived at hospital to begin treatment. For many conditions, the first few minutes are so critical in reducing how much damage is done to the human body. For example, if someone is suffering a stroke it’s important that you seek help as soon as you spot the symptoms.
Once a first responder arrives, they can stabilise the patient and stop their health from deteriorating further before making sure they get to the hospital as quickly as possible for further treatment.
