Awareness programs and first aid courses
Our awareness programs are run by volunteers. You can go to a session for the cost of a gold coin donation.
Our community programs aren’t accredited. We also run accredited first aid courses where you’ll get a Statement of Attainment when you finish your training.
CPR awareness program
CPR is easy to learn and can help save lives.
We hold monthly CPR awareness sessions. These are open to anyone, and you can bring your baby or child to a session.
Why CPR is important
If someone around you stops breathing or their heart stops, knowing CPR could save their life. What you do in the minutes before an ambulance arrives can make a big difference.
Our CPR training sessions can help you keep your family safe by learning how to keep calm and give life-saving care in an emergency situation. Nearly 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home and every second counts.
You’ll learn how to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest. You can also learn how to train other people.
We run 90 minute sessions every month.
If you’re one of our volunteers, you can log in to our QAS Volunteer CPR awareness portal.
First aid awareness programs
Our first aid awareness programs cover basic first aid to help you learn what to do in an accident or medical emergency.
We cover different topics in each session, and these may include:
- heart attack and chest pain
- breathing problems like asthma and allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
- choking
- bleeding
- strokes and seizures
- broken bones (fractures)
- head, neck and spinal injuries
- poisoning
- bites and stings
- burns.
RESQ R000’s program first aid skills for primary school students
Our RESQ R000’s program teaches children from Prep to Year 6 how to identify, prevent and respond to the following emergencies.
Accidents and medical emergencies, including:
- external bleeding
- burns
- allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- asthma
- low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
- seizures.
Bites and stings from:
- ticks, bees, wasps and ants
- snakes and spiders
- stonefish, bullrout, jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus and cone shell.
We’ll also teach them how to:
- remember their personal contact details
- call Triple Zero (000)
- do CPR or use a defibrillator (AED).
The program is run for different age groups: Prep to Year 1, Year 2 to 3, Year 4 to 6. It aligns with the Education Queensland Health and Physical Education Syllabus.
Infant and child health and first aid awareness programs
These sessions focus on general health and first aid for babies, toddlers and children. We recommend all parents, grandparents and carers learn basic first aid.
These sessions cover:
- infant and child CPR
- breathing problems like asthma, croup and allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
- burns
- swallowed button batteries
- choking
- drowning
- head injuries
- seizures
- rashes
- Ryan’s Rule.
We also talk about how to tell if your baby or child is unwell, and when they might need medical attention.
Snakes Alive - snake bite awareness program
Snakes are a part of life for Queenslanders. We’re called to more than one snake bite a day on average, so knowing how to respond can help save someone's life.
The Snakes Alive Program teaches:
- the 5 step treatment plan for a snake bite, including the pressure immobilisation technique
- practical advice to reduce the risk of a snake bite
- how to make a snake bite first aid kit.
Sign up for a session
Contact your nearest regional office to sign up for one of our sessions.
Get involved
These programs are made possible by the generosity of our Local Ambulance Committee volunteers across Queensland. Find out more or volunteer for your Local Ambulance Committee.