First Aid Training

The Irish Canoe Union recommends that all kayakers and canoeists complete a First Aid training course. For certain ICU Skills Awards and  Instructor & Coach Qualifications, a First Aid certificate is required in order for a candidate to progress to assessment.

The Irish Canoe Union does not deliver First Aid training. Instead we recommend that canoeists attend a reputable First Aid course such as Rescue Emergency Care (REC). Most First Aid certificates require re-validation every 3 years.

It is required that all instructors and coaches hold a current first aid certificate in order to validate their qualification.

Instructors & First Aid Courses
Under current guidelines the Rescue Emergency Care (REC) and Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certified courses are the only acceptable qualifications.  These courses are specially designed to equip candidates with the skills to deal with injuries that may occur where environmental and weather conditions can have a significant effect.  The table below shows the appropriate levels.

 

ICU Instructor
Award
Rescue Emergency Care (REC)
Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
Other
Level 1
Level 2
Level 2
Equivalent
Level 2
Level 2
Level 2
Equivalent
Level 3
Level 3
Level 3
Equivalent
Level 4
Level 3
Level 3
Equivalent
With increasing public awareness of health and safety issues in Ireland the range of First Aid courses on offer has expanded considerably.  Most courses deal with “Urban” First Aid where rapid access the emergency services is assumed. If you wish to determine if a course is acceptable please contact the ICU Office with a copy of the course syllabus and details of the awarding body ready for review.  In general no “Occupational First Aid” or “Order of Malta Course” is acceptable as they do not deal with non-urban aqueous environments, but always contact the ICU Office to confirm.

 

First Aid Kits
Recommended minimum contents for a First Aid Kit for Instructors & Coaches:

  • Rubber gloves
  • Vent aid or resuscitation barrier device
  • Paramedical shears
  • Tweezers
  • Safety pins
  • Roll of first aid tape
  • Triangular bandages x3
  • Wound dressings (assorted sizes) x3
  • Roller bandages (assorted sizes) x3
  • Foil blanket or emergency blanket
  • Penlight or snap light
  • Notebook and pencil
  • Sam splint
  • Waterproof container (to keep supplies dry)

First Aid Training Providers

The Rescue Emergency Care (REC) First Aid training scheme has been specially designed for outdoor sports and remote environments. It is the recommended training for Instructors by ICU Training Unit

NameCompanyContact NumberEmailLocation
Tomas Aylward087 2494847Kerry
Paul Butcher086 8506611Dublin
Paul CahillWild Places Emergency Care087 6639922 recmedicpaul@gmail.comMeath
Jane Carney086 2933477Wicklow
Liam Kavanagh086 8893387Wicklow
Vaughan Mason087 2851081Dublin
Mary MullinsRemote112firstaid0876763842mary.mullins@gmail.comTipperary
Joe O’Gorman01 2989719Dublin
Eithna Synnott00441693738333Northern Ireland
Pat Reid -First Aid for Life086 8210349patreid@esatclear.ieKildare
 Barry Redmond www.first-response.ie 086 8210112 info@first-response.ie Meath /Dublin
 Bernie Stenson 086 6034126 Countrywide
 Tollymore Mountain Centre 0044 48 43 72 21 58
 Marie Lyonswww.remotewestfirstaid.com0872901765 remotewestfirstaid@gmail.comMayo
Ronan O’Connorwww.ardmoreadventures.ie083 3743 889info@ardmoreadventures.ieWaterford
Niamh Gaffneywww.emergencyfirstaid.ie087 9858112niamh@emergencyfirstaid.ieLeinster