CONTRIBUTION OF CIVIL PROTECTION AND SLOVENIAN RED CROSS FIRST AID TEAMS TO THE RESCUE AND RELIEF SYSTEM

Abstract

The protection, rescue and relief system also includes first aid teams which are organised in companies, intuitions and municipalities. In order to obtain information concerning the contribution of such teams to the protection and rescue system and outside it, an online survey was prepared and involved 254 persons who had completed the Basic First Aid Team Training Programme. According to the survey, at least four of ten respondents (44%) had given first aid to injured persons in real-life situations, most of them by treating wounds. The majority of the respondents participated had provided first aid in the event of mass events (35%), had offered psychological support to a person after the accident (30%), had assisted the population during a natural disaster (25%), and had participated in the search of a missing person (19%). The smallest percentage of respondents had offered assistance in the event of mass accidents. As much as first aid team members are concerned, Slovenia disposes of a highly motivated, trained and educated potential, which should be better used in the future.