CESV Open Evening at St Andrew’s Church, Kyrenia
Monday the 16th September saw many members of the Civil Emergency Service Volunteers (CESV) gather at St Andrew’s Church, Kyrenia to hold the first of a number of open evenings when they will meet the public to demonstrate their skills and explain not only about first aid training but also aspects of their voluntary work as well.
On this first night there were around 25 visitors who became very engrossed with the team members and 15 signed up to receive email news bulletins and two people asked to be put down for future training sessions and perhaps become members of this very important group. Not only will they enjoy the training but will also discover how being a member of this group opens new horizons by meeting and making many friends in other North Cyprus communities.
A great deal of interest was being shown in the demonstration of Choking Charlie and the new equipment they have acquired to enable them to show and let trainees share the experience of helping a victim who is choking as a result of a blocked throat or airway.
Some years ago I had the misfortune when eating bread too quickly to ingest a piece into the back of my throat and the sense of panic was horrific that if I breathed in, my airway would be fully blocked. Fortunately I had the good sense to try to cough and this cleared the obstruction but this was an object lesson and the outcome could have been worse and without someone there ready to help the prospects were…………….
Nearby a young volunteer was excitedly waiting as his face was made up with a demonstration of a simulated injury. In this case he had severe facial bruising around his eye with a laceration of the eyebrow and embedded glass to add to the realism.
Not only is this demonstration of horrific injuries important in the CESV training sessions but there are always opportunities for new recruits to learn the art of first aid make-up along with many other skillls.
Another demonstration area showed the use of training mannequins which allows trainees to experience and perfect the skill of administering CPR – Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation on people who have stopped breathing and are unconscious
Not many people realise that CESV have been working as volunteers alongside the TRNC Sivil Savunma for a number of years now and take part in cross training exercises with them as well as giving special first aid training to the TRNC Emergency Services including Police, Fire Brigade, Doctors and Nurses and Ambulance crews in Hospitals, plus they also give training to schools and other organisations.
CESV will be holding training sessions on the first and third Monday of each month at St Andrew’s Church, Kyrenia from 7.15pm to 9.15pm.
For more information please click here or call Steve Collard the CESV, Operations Director on 0548 845 5927.
