St John Ambulance Brigade of Ireland

Southern Command

Announcement

 
Female Cadet First Aid Division Print E-mail

Cadets in competition.The lifeline of any voluntary organisation depends on having a vibrant youth section and St John Ambulance, Cork City, is no different. Members of the youth section are known as cadets. They are aged between 11 and 17 years of age.

During their membership, they will learn not just all the basic skills of First Aid, but also have the opportunity to take part in Radio Communication, Ambulance and Life Saving courses.

Today, there are two Cadet Divisions in Cork City, which between them have over 60 members. They train for 1.5 hours a week from 19:30 to 21:00, with boys meeting on a Saturday night, and girls meeting on Monday Nights at Brigade Headquarters on Victoria Road. Training nights consists of both practical work, theory and training methods. These are updated regular so cadets are only thought the very latest techniques.

Competitions are used to give cadets the opportunity of using their skills and knowledge to treat "casualties". Alot of effort is involved in making fake woulds look as realistic as possible. Competitions are held locally, as well as in Dublin, Limerick and Northern Ireland. There are both team and individual competitions. In each, members have to help victims of simulated accidents. Competitions are held in both caring and first aid. The aim of competitions is to give competitors the confidance in their ability to use the skills and techniques they have learned. The holding of regular competitions also helps members of the Cork City division to mingle with counterparts from Limerick, Dublin and Northern Ireland.

 There is an excellent mix of work and play within the Cadet divisions. This is recognised as the officers in charge as essential in maintaining membership. To facilitate this, events such as the Christmas Social, Cadet Disco, Weekend Camp are organised annually. During the latter, cadets get to try Rock Climbing, Kayaking, Canoeing, Orieteering and Pier Diving.