CPR, fire fighting, basic first aid – these are skills taught to Rea Vaya station ambassadors and marshals, so they are able to help passengers in need.

Hands on training

REA VAYA commuters are now in safer hands as stationambassadors and marshals have first aid and basic fire fighting knowhow – necessary skillsin their line of work.

Some 40 employees attended a two-day course at the Jabulani Fire Station, which began with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on 10 March and followed with basic fire fighting the next day.

Khotso Manoto, a marshal at Carlton Westbound Station, said he enjoyed the course and learned a lot from it. Manoto explained that to him the training was not a favour but a necessity as their work was very much people-orientated and one never knew when one might need to save a person’s live.

"It is very important to know first aid not only for work situations but even for your own home," he added.

His colleague, Mary Mahone, works at Fashion Square Northbound Station. She said the training offered a new experience and taught her things she did not know about helping an unconscious person or an epileptic person.

Mahone admitted that she used to believe the myth that when an epileptic person had convulsions, an object should be stuck in his or her mouth to stop them from swallowing or biting their tongue.

However, the group heard that when a person was convulsing, they should be made to lie down on a flat surface and be left alone. But if the problem continued for more than 15 minutes, the standby person must put the convulsing person on their side and press down on them with a little bit of pressure.

And they should call for help. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, they must continue holding the patient in that same position.

Palesa Motloung and Nhlanhla Nyembe, both public educators at the fire station, took the trainees through the steps of Satwa – Stay Alive Till We Arrive.

Motloung explained that in an emergency, the helper must first check the surroundings for hazardous objects, which must be removed.

The second step was to tap the sick or injured person on the shoulder and greet them.If the patient was a baby, the helper must tickle or blow air on the baby’s face. This was to check for level of consciousness, Motloung said.

The next step depended on whether the person was conscious or not; if unconscious, the witness should call for help. They should put on gloves or plastic, especially if there was blood, and check for breathing.

If there was no sign of breathing, the helper must administer CPR. The patient would either cough or blink. When this happened, the individual must be slanted on their side, in the recovery position. They must be held in that position until help comes.

Rea Vaya's operations manager, Daniel Memaguvhuni, explained that the training was necessary as they did not know when disaster might strike.

"It is important to have these basic skills because we transport human beings on a daily basis and should there be a need for our staff to help while waiting for the paramedics to arrive."

Even though the Rea Vaya system was almost perfect, it did not mean that accidents or unforeseen circumstances would not occur. According to Memaguvhuni, if there was an incident in which one of the passengers was injured or needed first aid help, "our staff" should be able to dress their wounds while waiting for professional help.

"This is also a way for us to show our commuters that we care about them and their wellbeing," he said.

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