Taiwan National Fire Agency organizes life-saving skills training for journalists

台灣消防局舉辦記者救生技能培訓

Agency says teaching journalists first aid is crucial to their field


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s National Fire Agency has put together a free first aid training course for journalists to teach them life-saving skills.

National Fire Agency Director Xiao Huan-zhang (蕭煥章) told Taiwan News that teaching journalists first aid is crucial because they often operate in high-risk environments where injuries are possible, such as protests, natural disasters, or conflict areas. He said the agency recognized the need for journalists to gain first aid skills and more specialized training in dealing with injuries that may occur in their field.

The Basic Life Support course teaches individuals to promptly recognize and respond to life-threatening emergencies. The goal is to stabilize a casualty until professional medical help arrives.

BLS training allows journalists to confidently act in emergencies and support their communities. They can prevent a situation from worsening and even save someone’s life, the agency said.

The National Fire Agency’s four-hour training taught high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AED) skills, the Heimlich maneuver, first aid, hemostatic dressing, and tourniquet usage. The course was taught by three of the agency’s trained instructors, who led hands-on demonstrations.

The CPR/AED part trained journalists to give CPR and use an AED for patients not breathing or suddenly experiencing a stroke or heart attack. CPR can double or triple someone’s chance of survival, and for every minute without defibrillation, a victim’s chance of survival drops.

First, the journalists were told to assess their surroundings to ensure the safety of their environment. The journalists learned to identify signs of cardiac arrest, such as unconsciousness, no breathing, and no signs of circulation.

To safely and effectively administer CPR, the instructors demonstrated the correct hand placement, depth, and rate of chest compressions. These actions are crucial for maintaining blood flow to the brain and vital organs.

Next, participants were taught how to activate an AED, attach the two pads to the victim's chest, and follow the device's voice prompts for delivering an electrical shock to restart the heart. The instructions covered safety precautions, such as ensuring the area is clear of bystanders and avoiding physical contact with the victim during the shock.

Second, participants performed the Heimlich maneuver, or abdominal thrusts, a first-aid technique used to dislodge a foreign object from a person's airway. They were told to stand behind the choking person, put their arms around their waist, make a fist with one hand and clasp their other hand tightly around it, place the thumb side of the fist just below the rib cage, above their belly button, and sharply and quickly thrusts their hands inward and upward five times.

They were instructed to repeat this process until the object is dislodged. The instructors added that if the person becomes unconscious, start CPR.

The journalists were also taught to adjust their methods depending on the person’s age. For example, if the patient is younger than 5, they should kneel behind the child to get down to their level and use less forceful thrusts.

Infants 12 months or younger should be turned face down, with their chest resting on your forearm or thigh, ensuring their head is lower than their body. Then, using the heel of your hand, strike the infant between their shoulder blades five times.

The last part involved a multi-step process to administer first aid to bleeding victims, including applying direct pressure, a hemostatic dressing, and, if necessary, a tourniquet.

The journalists were shown how to apply pressure directly to a wound using a sterile dressing. They were told to press firmly on the source until the bleeding stops, maintaining pressure for up to 10-15 minutes in severe cases.

When direct pressure is not enough to control the bleeding, hemostatic dressings can be helpful, especially when EMS response times are delayed, or in remote areas or wilderness settings. Hemostatic dressings come in various forms, including gauze pads, bandages, and wraps, and are used in conjunction with direct pressure.

For life-threatening bleeding on an arm or leg, tourniquets can be wrapped tightly around the arm or leg to control bleeding. Knowing where to apply a tourniquet is important, as it should be placed 5-7 centimeters above the wound, between the wound and the heart, and not on top of the wound or a joint.

Tourniquets should be pulled as tightly as possible. Patients should be warned that a tourniquet may be painful but is necessary to control the bleeding.

Both Chinese and foreign journalists were invited to register for the training. The course quickly capped its maximum number of 60 participants after registration opened.

The National Fire Agency provided journalists with a BLS training certificate after completion. Due to the strong interest expressed by journalists, the agency intends to arrange more courses in the future.