April 2014 Air Cadet Central Edition
This guide is intended as a handy summary and a starting point for further research into a subject.
Always consult current official policy before undertaking training.
First aid training in the ACO is conducted in partnership with the British Heart In this guide:
Foundation (BHF) and St John Ambulance (SJA). Training is available to cadets
and staff at several different levels. 1. Heartstart
2. Youth First Aid
First aid cover is required for most cadet activities, and provides useful skills 3. Activity First Aid
and qualifications for cadets and staff.
1. Heartstart
Heartstart is an initiative co-ordinated by the BHF to teach members of the public what to do
in a life-threatening emergency: “simple skills that save lives”.
It can be delivered in a minimum of 2 hours, but is usually delivered over two parade nights
to give participants time to practice. It is divided into two stages:
● Stage 1 develops practical skills including the recovery position, and performing CPR.
● Stage 2 looks at heart attack signs and symptoms, choking, and serious bleeding.
● A short additional (optional) module covers the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
There is no formal assessment and certificates are awarded for attendance.
To run the course, you must be a qualified Heartstart instructor. This process varies
so contact your Wing First Aid Officer for more details (if you are qualified to instruct
YFA, it’s likely that you will be able to run Heartstart with minimal extra training).
The BHF provides training resources including a ‘Buying Time’ DVD that covers the
main topics. They also provide training manikins (‘Resusci Annes’) and a limited
supply of consumables (lungs, wipes etc.) Your Wing First Aid Officer should have
more information.
Competitions
First aid competitions are usually held at Wing and Region Competition Days. Teams and
individuals are judged on their response to a variety of first aid scenarios, which may include
realistic casualty simulations, props and multi-casualty scenes.
April 2014 Get Into FIRST AID ACC Edition
2. Youth First Aid
Successful completion of a Youth First Aid (YFA) course entitles cadets
to wear the red YFA badge on their brassard. It requires a minimum of
12 hours to teach and assess, but is usually delivered as a 2-day
weekend course or spread across several parade nights1.
ACTO 8 specifies a minimum instructor to student ratio of 1:12, and a
minimum assessor to student ratio of 1:6. Assessors “must not have any
input to the training of the cadets being assessed”2, and must hold an
accepted First Aid qualification3.
The YFA syllabus covers the following topics: (topics marked with ✱ are formally assessed)
● Asthma ● Communication and ● Hypothermia
● Bites and stings casualty care ● Low blood sugar
● Bleeding (minor) ● Coping in an emergency ● Poisons
✱ Bleeding and shock ● Electric shock ✱ Primary survey
● Bone, muscle and joint ● Fainting ✱ Recovery position
injuries ● First aid kit ✱ Resuscitation
● Burns and scalds ● Foreign objects ● Seizures
● Chest pains ● Head injuries ● Severe allergic reaction
● Choking ● Heat exhaustion ● Spinal injury
3. Activity First Aid
AFA holders can provide the minimum permitted level of first aid cover for cadets
at most activities4,5. The qualification also allows instructor cadets and staff to teach
and assess the YFA syllabus.
AFA takes a minimum of 16 hours to teach and assess, and is usually delivered as a
weekend course at wing level. AFA is a nationally-recognised qualification, but is
separate and unrelated to First Aid At Work (FAAW). Trainers and assessors must
be recognised and registered with SJA.
The next steps...
1. Contact your 2. Attend an AFA course 4. Organise / assist with
Wing FA Officer 3. YFA & HS course training YFA & HS courses!
Some wings organise the BTEC Level 3 Award in Education and Training6 (formerly PTTLS) course in conjunction with
First Aid training. Some wings also provide further FA training, including casualty simulation, FAAW or EAD courses.
1 Delivering the training across several parade nights allows it to count towards a cadet’s DofE Award skills section.
2 ACTO 8, para. 15.
3 ACTO 8, Annex B.
4 JSP 535 (Cadet Training Safety Precautions), Part II (Training Safety), para. 108.
5 PAM 21C, chapter 2, section 2, para. 232.
6 ACTO 26, para. 5.
