European first aiders show off skills
| 24 June 2008
More than 850 Red Cross representatives from 28 countries gathered in Liverpool last weekend to take part in Europe’s biggest first aid competition and enjoy a major conference.
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| The First Aid Convention in Europe (FACE08) took place in and around the University of Liverpool, which also gave attendees an opportunity to see the sights of this year’s European Capital of Culture. It was the second time the FACE event has been staged in the UK. | | |  | |
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During the first aid competition on Saturday, 28 of the finest teams in Europe – from Norway to Ireland to Turkey – rolled up their sleeves to contest four coveted trophies. The Serbian Red Cross triumphed overall in the first aid competition, winning the award for the third year in a row.
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| Ken Sharpe, first aid technical support manager, said: “The competition was terrific. We’d paid particular attention this year to making the accident scenarios and injuries absolutely realistic, and I think that encouraged the competitors to raise their game even further.” | | |  | |
First aid demonstrations
Among many highlights, the conference featured a speech by Gunther von Hagens, the renowned German anatomist whose controversial Body Worlds exhibition has been seen by millions across the world.
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| Dr von Hagens said: “I was 16 years old when I did first aid training and that was at the start of my journey into my field of work. I certainly feel like I can learn a lot from the Red Cross first aid volunteers at FACE08 today. | | |  | |
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“I am still a member of the German Red Cross and I believe my aims and those of the Red Cross are the same. We both want to increase health consciousness and understanding of the human body. After all, a good knowledge of anatomy is the basis of first aid.
“By learning about human anatomy and training in first aid we can be prepared – so that when an incident happens we can respond immediately and professionally.”
Demonstration workshops included a series of dramatic water rescue displays in the dockside water by British Red Cross teams using cutting edge equipment. Delegates also had a chance to try out new, state of the art computerised ‘Annie’ resuscitation models.
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