This morning, a course for field personnel began in Ísafjörður. After the avalanches in Flateyri at the beginning of the year, it was decided to offer such courses in both the southern and northern areas of Vestfjörður. Received a special budget from the Ministry of Health to hold the courses. There was not enough participation in the southern region this time, but those who applied from there were invited to participate in the northern region with a subsidy on travel costs.
First responders are volunteers who bridge the gap from first response and first aid until further help arrives on the scene.
The goal is that a community that is isolated due to external factors such as weather or lack of transportation, will be better equipped to respond in times of need and deal with emergencies when it can take a long time for other specialized services to arrive. In this way, villages that are far from a hospital or are at risk of being closed off can attend to the most urgent health problems that may arise.
The participants in the course are from Tálknafjörður, Þingeyri, Suðureyri, Súðavík and Flateyri, and the course is organized by the Medical Transport School in Akureyri.
Participants in the course together with Gylfa Ólafsson of the great Vestfjörður Health Institute and Sigurður A. Jónsson, fire chief in Ísafjörður
Author: SLG