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As part of a national campaign to improve road safety, lorry drivers in the West Midlands are to undergo first aid training. It is hoped that by teaching lorry drivers the basic skills and knowledge they need to potentially save a life, they are more likely to be able to help in a collision or other road safety accident.

The initiative, called Driver First Assist (DFA), is being supported by all three emergency services in the West Midlands. The Chief Fire Officers Association, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) and the Association of Chief Police Officers are all behind the training scheme, which is designed for professional drivers working towards their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

On the one-day first aid training courses, lorry drivers will learn everything from first aid and CPR to scene management. It is hoped that the training will help drivers to provide life-saving first aid in the case of a road traffic accident, helping to keep injured people alive and stable until the emergency services can arrive on the scene.

Speaking of the new initiative, the AACE Chairman Anthony Marsh said:

“By providing professional drivers, who are often first to witness or come across such incidents, with basic life support training and the knowledge to know what to do will ultimately mean patients get the care they need whilst emergency help is en route.”