Mount Maunganui residents are praising the new St John training facility introduced to teach more people first aid.

St John tutor Sally Moore and former tutor Guy Torrey at the new training facility in Mount Maunganui. Photos: Zoe Hunter

Until now, Mount Maunganui residents had to travel to Tauranga to receive first aid training with St John. Courses have been running in the new training facility on Zambuk Way in Bayfair since April.

After 13 years as a Katikati St John volunteer, Sally Moore began tutoring in Tauranga, in an attempt to help educate more people about first aid.

'I wanted to give something back to the community. If I can get another 20 people to learn CPR, that's another 20 people [with the skill] in the community,” she says.

'For them to go a short distance too, it's great.”

In October 2012, a man's foot was cut off above the ankle in an accident at the Port of Tauranga. The man was working in the logging yard when his foot was caught in a winch and was severed off.

Tutor Sally demonstrates CPR on a baby manikin.

The man underwent surgery in Waikato Hospital but surgeons did not try to re-attach his foot.

Sally says one of her students was first on the scene. It had been 10 days since the student had completed a first aid course. While only just receiving his certificate, the man was confident enough to help call 111 and reassure the injured man everything was going to be ok.

Sally says if a person is drifting in and out of consciousness, reassurance is appreciated, and is sometimes what keeps someone alive.

'That reassurance is paramount. Breathing is one of the best things you can actually do.”

Tutor Sally demonstrates how to help a choking child.

You're never too old

Mount Maunganui grandmother Karen Ofsoski has been thinking about doing a St John first aid course for a while.

Her grandchildren, a five-year-old and a toddler aged 16 months, are coming to stay with her for three and a half weeks soon. She is worried she is not prepared for an emergency.

Mount Maunganui grandmothers Tania Spiers and Karen Ofsoski practise CPR.

What if the baby swallows a cat biscuit, or a coin from her purse, and it gets stuck in its throat? Is she prepared to do CPR? Does she even know how to perform CPR?

Karen and her friend Tania Spiers completed their first ever first aid course at St John's brand new training facility in Mount Maunganui last week.

'I just thought it would be quite good (to do) just in case,” says Karen.

Tania, who has two grandchildren around the same age, is learning for the first time how to do CPR.

She places her hands, one on top of the other, and pushes with locked elbows into the chest of an adult-size manikin.

She finds it hard, and she can't seem to make the clicking sound signalling the correct depth of movement required to save a person's life.

Mount Maunganui grandmothers Tania Spiers and Karen Ofsoski watch tutor Sally demonstrate CPR on an adult.

Tania practises this again on a baby manikin. She places two fingers in the middle of the small manikin's chest and performs 100 compressions per minute.

She covers the manikin's nose and mouth with hers, and breathes a small breath of air into its mouth. The chest moves.

Now it's Karen's turn. Karen repeats the movements. 100 compressions per minute, one breathe. 100 compressions per minute, one breathe.

The two grandmothers wanted to learn CPR. Now, after two days, the pair knows how to save a life. That life could be one of their grandchildren - their baby grandchildren.

'You get to be able to know what to do and we're not getting any younger,” says Tania. 'It's just nice to be able to come where it's so close.”

'It has definitely built my confidence just knowing where to do the CPR,” says Karen.

The next course at the new Mount Maunganui training facility is on Monday May 13. To book a first aid course, visit: www.stjohn.org.nz