St John Ambulance Victoria has launched its new First Aid training app. Designed specifically for primary school-aged children, it aims to arm them with the necessary skills to assist in an emergency situation.
The First Aid Action Hero app is an extension of St John Ambulance Victoria’s First Aid in Schools Program, introducing an element of innovation and interactivity to the program to gamify the experience and make First Aid training fun.
The app took 18 months to develop and was user-tested with children at various prototype stages to ensure it was engaging, informative, and easy to navigate for its target audience.
“We want children of all ages across Victoria to have some level of First Aid training – whether it’s from hands-on learning through our First Aid in Schools Program or digitally through the First Aid Action Hero app,” said Gordon Botwright, St John Ambulance Victoria CEO.
“We also want more children to have access to our program beyond the kids who can participate at their school each year such as those who are home-schooled or living in remote areas.
“It’s just another way we’re trying to give back to the community and further support our mission of saving lives through First Aid.”
For Rodney Vella from Victoria, his 12-year-old daughter’s First Aid training proved to be lifesaving during an accident.
“A couple of weeks after Annalise completed the St John Ambulance Victoria First Aid in Schools Program, I accidently sliced my arm in a grinder and passed out from the incident, losing a lot of blood,” Mr Vella said.
“Annalise remembered to place me in the recovery position and dialled triple 0 – thanks to her First Aid training, she stayed calm throughout the ordeal and knew exactly what to do. She has since been using the First Aid Action Hero app at home to reinforce the knowledge and skills she learnt at school. My experience has shown me just how vital it is for children to learn First Aid, whether it be at school or through the First Aid Action Hero app – you just never know when you might need to save a life.”
The First Aid Action Hero app also includes captions to cater to children who are hearing impaired. It is free and available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on smart phones and tablets.
