At Centaur Training we share knowledge and practical training for a wide range of life skills and situations, and whilst not everyone is trained to carry out lifesaving procedures like CPR, we should at least ensure that we know what to do in an emergency from an early age. That’s why it is so important to make sure your child knows what to do in case of an emergency. If something is to happen no matter how big or small make sure your child knows the appropriate action to take.

If someone is severely injured and needs an ambulance make sure your child knows to ring 999 and always has their phone with them, battery fully charged, or they know where to borrow someone’s phone such as a local shop. Remind them to inform you of what has happened, but to make the emergency call first. If it isn’t a serious accident but your child or a friend has sustained any sort of injury or need help in some way, make sure they contact you but also the other child’s parent. Even if the injury may seem minor such as a bee sting, they may have an allergy and go into anaphylactic shock. If this does happen it is imperative their parents know where they are and are able to retrieve them knowing what has happened, then if they show symptoms at a later time the appropriate action can be taken.

If your child witnesses anything such as a crime, accident or a fire make sure they know what to do. If they witness a crime, they need to call 999 and ask for the police, providing as much information as possible to report the incident. Shout for help from the immediate people around, however, never engage a criminal. If they see someone in an accident where they are injured, they should call 999 asking for an ambulance, giving a detailed description of what has taken place. If your child knows some first aid they can help as much as possible, but their own health and safety should come first. If they see a fire, even if only minor, they should ring 999 and ask for the fire services. Fires can spread quickly and be exceptionally dangerous, so it is imperative that the fire service get there as soon as possible, and no one goes near a fire or enters a burning building.

Remember all emergency service staff are trained professionals and the best thing you can do in any situation is get their expert help as soon as possible by ringing 999. When ringing through remember always let the operator control the conversation. They will know what questions to ask and what information they need to fill out a report and dispatch the correct emergency service as soon as possible. Stay on the line until the emergency services arrive unless the operator tells you to hang up.

Try to remain calm and report any important details such as:

• The situation, what has happened who was involved.

• A description of who was involved, are they old, young, male, female. If it is a crime and the assailant has left, they may want a description of the criminal including what clothes they were wearing, hair, skin and eye colour and other defining features.

• The location of the incident. Look around for street names, shops or monuments that may give the operator a better idea of where you are.

• A description of what was involved. For example, if a shop was robbed a clear description of which shop, or if a car was involved in a crash what car was it including the registration, make, model and colour.

The most important thing to remember is your own safety. Make sure your child knows how to react in case of emergency, but they must always put their own safety first and never get involved in a situation that may put themselves in harm’s way.

If you or your child want to learn more about first aid, accident prevention or fire safety why not come along to one of our parents’ courses. Our Parents First Aid Awareness course is run at Centaur’s Leyland venue frequently, or any of our courses are available to be booked by a minimum of 8 people to run at a time and place to suit your needs. Or you could purchase our First Aid for Parents e-learning course and get your children to take part.