First Medical Response is a training provider based in Port Elizabeth. The company offers training in SETA registered and accredited first aid in levels one to three, as well as fire and safety training. FMR courses are also internationally recognised.

First Medical Response can provide training nationwide and courses can be tailored to accommodate the client’s needs. Due to an increasing demand, the company now offers a range of first aid and emergency products, such as:

• Motorist first aid kits
• Office first aid bags
• Office first aid boxes
• Factory first aid kits
• Fire blankets
• Health and safety signs

First aid level 1

The first aid level 1 course is the minimum requirement for compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

First Medical Response offers a two-day course that is valid for three years, and can be adapted to meet client’s operations, if necessary.

First aid level 1 covers:

• The principles of emergency care in the workplace
• Preparedness for health emergencies in the workplace
• Assessing and managing an emergency scene in the workplace
• The primary survey
• Emergency life support for adults, children and infants, including single and two persons CPR, artificial respiration, and managing a choking patient
• Bleeding and shock
• The secondary survey
• Management of wounds; soft tissue injuries
• Fractures
• Burns
• Environmental illness and injuries
• First aid incident reporting and procedures

First aid level 2

First aid level 2 is a four to five-day course. Level 2 offers a more intensive programme, with a broader range of information. The completed certificate is valid for three years.

First aid level 2 covers all of the information in level 1 in greater detail, as well as:

• Anaphylactic shock
• Common injuries
• Head and spinal injuries
• Joint injuries and rescue carries
• Chest, hand and eye injuries
• Pelvic and abdominal injuries
• Poisoning, bites and stings
• Medical emergencies common in the workplace, including: diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, stroke and heart attack
• First aid and follow-up treatment

First aid level 3

The level 3 course teaches how to give primary first aid care in the workplace, for health emergencies, particularly occupational risk in the workplace. The four to five-day course can be adapted to suit the client’s workplace.

Level three covers the principles in levels 1 and 2, but also includes:

• Environmental illness and injuries
• Maternity

Basic firefighting in the workplace

First Medical Responses’ firefighting course equips employees with the skills to fight incipient-stage fires in the workplace.

One to two days of basic training enables employees to identify different classes of fires and to contain, prevent and extinguish them using basic firefighting equipment.

The basic firefighting programme includes:

• Fire policy in the workplace; prevention strategies and safety procedures
• Industry safe practices (Occupational Health and Safety Act)
• Consequences of non-adherence to safe practices
• Personnel procedures; how and when to call the fire department
• The theory of fire and how fire spreads; causes and classes of fires
• How equipment is to be used to its full potential
• Firefighting techniques; firefighting procedures
• Practical participation in dry powder fire extinguishers
• Basic life support and burns care

Occupational health and safety representative (SHE Rep)

First Medical Response offers a course designed to inform health and safety representatives of the legal requirements regarding health and safety in the workplace. The participants will learn the rights, powers, functions and duties of the workplace health and safety representative, and how any problems concerning health, safety and environmental may be handled.

The one to two-day occupational health and safety representative course covers:

• The statutory requirements applicable to a health and safety representative of the employer
• Terminology
• The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act)
• Responsibilities and designation of the health and safety representative
• Responsibilities and duties of the employer
• Employee rights
• Responsibilities and designation of health and safety committees
• Conducting safety, health and environmental representation activities in the workplace
• Specific duties of the health and safety representative
• Preventing accidents
• Addressing safety, health and environment related issues within the scope of authority
• Procedures for dealing with health and safety issues
• Identifying hazards systematic approach
• Monthly inspections; gathering info checklists
• Health and safety committee meetings
• Reporting issues
• General safety rules and signs
• Complying with activities within safety, health and environmental structures
• Safety, health and environmental (SHE) management system
• Importance and scope of participation of the health and safety representative

First Medical Response training

First Medical Response began out of the need for first aid and safety training as stipulated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993). This act made it a legal requirement for employers to have trained first aiders in the workplace.

First Medical Response was awarded with full SETA accreditation in 2012, and thereafter expanded significantly within its borders offering the much needed skills of first aid, fire and safety techniques. In 2014, First Medical Response was awarded with an international accreditation.