As an Air Cadet or Adult Volunteer you will have the opportunity to learn basic life saving first aid skills. Everybody completes the British Heart Foundation HeartStart Award in their three months. This covers basic CPR, how to do the recovery position and what to do when someone is choking or is bleeding severely.

Cadets can then further their knowledge within eightteen months by completing the St John Youth First Aid Course. This course covers a wide range of first aid topics including, allergies, cuts, broken bones, diabetes, burns and much more. 

Those cadets with a particular passion for first aid can attend a week long course to become a first aid instructor. This gives the cadets an opportunity to learn about first aid in more depth. The course also enables these cadets to instruct younger cadets HeartStart, Youth First Aid and assess Activity First Aid (certain eligibility criteria must be met). 

Cadet Warrant Officer Olsson, from 2195 (Long Eaton) Squadron said “The course has taught me more than I could imagine; I’ve been given the ability to pass down the knowledge and skills I’ve gained to many other cadets, allowing them to become better first aiders. First aid should be accessible to everyone and I’m glad that the Gold Instructors course has opened up the doors for me to make this possible.”

Adult volunteers also have the opportunity to complete the St John Activity first aid course, this is a sixteen hour first aid course equivalent to first aid at work. This qualification is recognised by various NGOs for outdoor or high risk activities.