First Aid

The Smart Thing To Do

“First aid, life saved.” It may sound dramatic, but it is often true. If you summon emergency medical services to the scene of an incident, your actions have started the "chain of survival." You have acted to help someone you may not even know. First aid is helping; it''s making that call, putting a Band-Aid on a small wound; controlling bleeding in large wounds; or staying with a collapsed person who needs emergency personnel. You can help yourself, your loved ones or a stranger whose life may depend on you being in the right place at the right time with the right knowledge. We strongly advise teenagers to take a first-aid training course from one of the many organizations in their area. First aid--it's the smart thing to do!


What is the EMS?
The Emergency Medical Services system is a network of community resources in which you play an important part. Think of the EMS system as a chain made up of several links. Each link depends on the others for success.

The system begins when a responsible person like you recognizes that an emergency exists and decides to take action. He calls the local emergency number for help. The EMS dispatcher answers the call and uses the information she is given to determine what help is needed. A team of emergency personnel gives care at the scene and transports the victim to the hospital, where emergency department staff and a variety of other medical professionals take over.

Ideally, all the links in the chain should work together to provide the best possible care for victims of injury or illness. Early arrival of emergency personnel increases the victim's chances of surviving a life-threatening emergency. Whether or not you know first aid, calling your emergency number is the most important action you can take.

Here are some emergency phone numbers in English-speaking countries. These numbers will connect you to a dispatcher for medical services, not the police. In some areas, however, the numbers may be the same.

Australia 000
Canada 911
Denmark 112
Finland 112
France 15
Germany 112
Hong Kong 999
Ireland 112
Israel 101
Italy 118
New Zealand 111
Philippines 166
Singapore 995
Switzerland 144
United Kingdom 112
United States 911