Rand Park High School’s emergency care team achieved good results in all divisions at a recent interschool first aid competition at Parktown High School for Girls.

It was a long and exciting day filled with emergency first-aid simulations, including frostbite, embedded objects, fainting emergencies and cardiac arrests, testing the team’s practical skills.

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A team comprising Kieran Gould, Somila Mlata, Ariyana Pillay and Kagisho Mogashoa achieved first place in their senior level 3 preliminary simulation before placing second in the final round. Another team, made up of Jonathan Gardiner, Toretto Govender, Oya Langeni and Ndiene Libago, placed first in their junior level 2 preliminary simulation and third in the final.

All non-finalist learners competed in a theory test. They performed well and placed in all three divisions, reflecting the high standards of skill and knowledge within Rand Park’s emergency care team.

Arya Timol achieved second place in the novice level 1 first aid theory category, Layla Mohammed achieved first place in the junior level 2 first aid theory category, Shaela McGeer achieved third place in the senior level 3 first aid theory category, and Gabby Strydom achieved first place in the senior level 3 first aid theory category.

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Kieran Gould, a Grade 10 learner and one of the captains of the emergency care team, said all the training and hard work they put in paid off. “I feel an immense sense of pride. Not every school has a first aid team, so I am very grateful to be a part of Rand Park. It was fantastic to prove to the school that we are an excellent first aid team and that they can trust us. Representing the school allows us to express ourselves and demonstrate our school’s high standards.”

This was Kieran’s third consecutive year competing in the competition. He said the most important skill or lesson he has learned through being part of the emergency care team is empathy. “As a first aider, I often see people during the worst parts of their day – whether they have sprained an ankle, causing them to miss a match, or are having a panic attack due to personal issues.

“I try my hardest to understand how my patient may be feeling, their emotions, and their past experiences, which helps calm and relax them.”

The scenarios at the competitions are designed to be as realistic as possible. Actors often have injury makeup that learners are required to identify, and they are instructed on what symptoms they would experience if the injury were real. Kieran added that their team follows a dynamic that they use in real life, consisting of a team leader, primary treater, secondary treater and a scribe. “This allows us to remember our designated roles, which we all execute equally well. The main difference between a scenario and a real-life emergency is ensuring that the judges marking our scenario can clearly see and understand what we are doing.”

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