Edmonton, The scene: Four teens are skateboarding along the riverbank trail when suddenly the ground gives way along a steep slope causing the first skater to wipe out and slide down the bank into an open excavation pit. Friends of the skater are a few minutes behind on the trail but see what’s happened ahead. They quickly move down the bank to locate their friend. They see a ladder in the pit for access but the injured skater cannot get up to use it. The teens attempt to rescue their friend. The ground remains unstable and as they start making their way down into the pit, the ladder tips. Within seconds the teens find themselves in a dire situation. All sustain various injuries and some are critical.
This was the scenario that 21 first aid teams of various skill levels walked into on Saturday April 7th at the Newcap Radio stage in West Edmonton Mall for the 2018 St. John Ambulance Provincial First Aid Competition.
With help from Paul Kane High School’s drama club teams competed in five categories,
Standard First Aid – Youth, Standard First Aid – Industry, Medical First Responder, Emergency Responder, and Advanced First Aid.
2018 Provincial First Aid Competition Awards
| Award Category | Team Name | Location | Team Member(s) |
| Best Standard First Aid Team – Youth Division | Poison IV | Leduc Composite High School | Cady M – Captain Emily K Paige M Leah G |
| Best Team Captain Standard First Aid – Youth Division | Unqualified Opinion | Leduc Composite High School | Jena M |
| Best Standard First Aid Team – Industry Division | Coal Valley Mines – Team 1 | Edson | Kailee C – Captain Alex B Avery R Brent M |
| Best Team Captain Standard First Aid – Industry Division | Coal Valley Mines – Team 1 | Edson | Kailee C |
| Best Medical First Responder (MFR) Team | The Captains | SJA – Edmonton Community Services | Matthew C – Captain Dean S Alex N Dexter T |
| Best Team Captain Medical First Responder Division | Cyclone | SJA – Calgary Community Services | Shawn P |
| Best Advanced First Aid Team | Coal Valley Mines – Team 2 | Edson | John K – Captain Ryan G Jason N Kevin D |
| Best Team Captain – Advanced First Aid Division | Coal Valley Mines – Team 2 | Edson | John K |
| Best Emergency Responder Team | Trauma Troopers | University of Calgary | Claire H – Captain Renee N Cassandra C Janna N |
| Best Team Captain Emergency Responder Division – (A tie this year) | SunHills Mining Beach Patrol |
Seba Beach West Edmonton Mall |
Cory A Oksana G |
| Best Novice Team | Poison IV | Leduc Composite High School | Cady M – Captain Emily K Paige M Leah G |
| Highest Overall Scoring Team | Trauma Troopers | University of Calgary | Claire H – Captain Renee N Cassandra C Janna N |
| Best Casualty This award recognizes outstanding performance of a volunteer in their role as a casualty |
Paul Kane High School | Volunteer Casualty Emily |
“First aid is something that that you have a chance to help when everyone else doesn’t know what to do. You’ll actually have the knowledge and tools to be able to do something.” Said John Kelly Team captain of Coal Valley Team 2.
“We have practiced a lot, like twice a week for one to two hours every week. So, we are pretty prepared we think.” Cady McCubbing team captain of Poison IV Youth team.
First aid competitions have been a St. John Ambulance tradition since they were first introduced in 1880 by Surgeon-Major G.A. Hutton in England. While times and technology have changed, the importance of learning these valuable skills hasn’t; as proven by the teams who competed on Saturday.
About St. John Ambulance
St. John Ambulance is an international humanitarian organization and is a foundation of the Order of St. John. As Canada’s standard for excellence in First Aid and CPR services, St. John Ambulance offers innovative programs, ensuring Canadians receive the best quality training. Revenue generated from First Aid/CPR training supports St. John Ambulance’s charitable work.