Web Site of the Jamaica Defence Force

"St John Ambulance Provides First Aid Training to JDF Personnel"

Representatives of the Canadian branch of St John Ambulance marked the completion of a First Aid Training Workshop with a closing ceremony held in the Force Conference Room on
Friday 26 August 2011.

The workshop, which was conducted over an intense two week period, had sixty two participants from various organizations, namely the Jamaica Defence Force, the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force and St John Ambulance, Jamaica.

Graduates of the First Aid Training Workshop give a demonstration on rendering First Aid after
the closing ceremony held at the Force Conference Room, Up Park Camp
on 26 August 2011. (Photo by: Private Horace Brown)

The Ceremony was attended by Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency, Stephen Hallihan, who expressed pride at the work that had been done.

Chief Instructor, Acting Commissioner Justin Schmidt-Clever said that this initiative was “aimed at building capacity for all the organisations involved” and went on to highlight the importance of first aid training in promoting a safe and healthy work environment.

Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Stephen Hallihan (centre), Executive Director
of St John Ambulance, Jamaica Wilford James (right) and Superintendent Eric Roy (left)
look on at a demonstration put on by graduates of the First Aid
Training Workshop. (Photo by: Private Horace Brown)

The workshop was geared towards ensuring continuance of the training programme and enabled previously taught instructors to arrange and conduct First Aid and Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses. Over the two week period, the instructors’ objectives were to examine candidates, train the trainers and subsequently appoint these trainers as examiners to arrange and conduct annual re-examinations. Under this arrangement, the Chief Instructors and potential programme managers supervised the eight potential instructors who delivered the training package to the seventeen potential trainers.

“The course was very informative and the instructors’ training style made it easy for the students to learn,” said an enthused Corporal Ian Gray of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. Lance Corporal Danasha Williams of the Support and Services Battalion who was a trainee at the Workshop said she thinks the training will help her to provide critical assistance to someone who may be seriously injured. Miss Aleathea Thomas of St Johns Ambulance, Jamaica who was an instructor at the Workshop said also, that the workshop helped her to be more confident in delivering information to her students.

Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, His Excellency Stephen Hallihan (left) awards Chief Instructor Acting
Commissioner Justin Schmidt-Clever of St John Ambulance Canada with a plaque at the closing ceremony
of the First Aid Training Workshop. (Photo by: Private Horace Brown)

In closing out the ceremony, Acting Commissioner Schmidt-Clever thanked his colleagues for taking the time out to come to Jamaica and sharing their expertise with the trainees at their own expense.