"Safe Greece" is sharing knowledge while having fun!
Athens 06/07/2022. I was shocked when I realised how few people my age know how to handle situations where someone’s life is at stake. Information that is so simple and easy to learn, yet so important, should be widely available. Occasioned by the project in lifeguard class, we decided to gather some friends with different backgrounds and share with them what we were taught. The plan was simple, share useful knowledge about first aid while we are having fun. Surprisingly a lot of people showed interest and freed their evening from other responsibilities just to take part in our project. That’s a good sign to begin with. Unluckily the little home gym could not fit all of them.
We decided to gather at my home gym in Egaleo, Athens. After everyone was there we started to introduce them to the topic. The program included instructions on how to handle various scenarios. We began with the basics on how to collect information from the scene for potential dangers and how to properly evaluate the state of the injured person. We discussed which scenario is top priority and should be treated immediately and roughly how much time we have before things get out of hand. Most of them were unaware of these things while few of them already knew and joined us, which was quite interesting. The program continued with instructions on how to help a choking man, how to stop bleeding from minor injuries and of course CPR and how to put someone on recovery position. After we showed them step by step with simple instructions, they were free to try on their own. At first, I felt they were somewhat uncomfortable, yet eager to give it a shot. With each repetition they felt more confident. Bleeding and choking scenarios where fairly easy to handle as the information was simple and the instructions few. Most of them were able to execute the drills perfectly a couple of times. CPR and recovery position were more challenging due to the increased complexity but we tried to make it as simple as possible. Soon everyone in the room knew how to perform CPR and what information they need to give when they call for ambulance. We also practiced a lot on the recovery position since it is useful in many situations. Lastly, we briefly mentioned some information on allergy reactions, minor eye injuries and other scenarios that one may encounter. Due to time pressure we could not expand further.
Concluding, the way we as a team chose to do our presentation was successful at imparting knowledge to the group of friends in an interactive and fun way. I really do hope that linking this vital information with good memories will help them remember it for much longer!
The teachings took place as part of the academic module “Applied Lifeguarding” of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the project “Safe Greece” that is implemented by the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association with the support of Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
