Dollar Academy CCF have been crowned the best first aid team in the whole of the UK at the CCF First Aid Nationals 2016 competition!
Here, Dollar Cadet Sergeant Kathryn Scougall recounts her experiences of the event and what it takes to scoop such a major honour.
“Kneeling in pools of blood with the injured screaming by our side, the Dollar Academy first aid team once again succeeded to save lives. This competition is designed to test cadets on their knowledge and decision-making under pressure and is the most prestigious in the first aid calendar.
Returning for their 10th year at the national event hosted at the Army Medical Headquarters, Strensall, the A team, lead by CSgt Kathryn Scougall consisting of CSgt Catriona Ferguson, Cpl Nicola Henson and LCpl Beth Logan and the young adult team (u23) of S/Sgt Emma Rattray and CSM Darwin Douglas all took part. After winning the CCF nationals on the Saturday the team then qualified for the Inter-Services competition on the Sunday.
The Inter-Services competition combines all the elements of the Cadet Forces within the UK, with the Champions from the Sea Cadets Corps, Army Cadet Force and also teams from St John Ambulance. On this day Dollar competed fiercely against all the competitors by completing a team scenario and individual scenario each and, in the face of adversity, the cadets dominated. The Young Adult team placed a highly-creditable 3rd overall and our cadet team prevailed, winning the overall competition outright.
However this was not the main accomplishment, Dollar also won the prize for the best overall cadet force by combining young adult and cadet team scores.
This saw Dollar Academy CCF crowned the best first aid team in the UK.
The scenarios were broadly varied, with the individual tests including choking, hypoglycaemia, alcohol poisoning and anaphylaxis. The team tests were much more complex, with a car crash resulting in spinal injury, head wound and seizure and severe gunshot wounds and shock in the next. The skills learned in first aid are invaluable and transferable into real life helping save lives.
The team was trained under the expertise of SMI Tracy Scott, learning and practicing every possible situation in the book. First aid is a skill everyone should have, and the team certainly showed theirs off in this competition, and hopefully in many more to come.”
CSgt Kathryn Scougall
Main image (top of page) shows the winning team.
CSgt Scougall treats a casualty.
