SCOUTS in Salisbury have been awarded their emergency aid stage 4 badge after learning some key skills.

The award, which was given to seven scouts from the 4th Salisbury (Harnham) Scout Group, is equivalent to the first response training that all adults volunteering in the Scout Association are required to complete.

The Scouts, one of whom is from Ukraine, undertook the training over two evenings on May 22 to 23 at the Scout Hall in Lower Street, West Harnham and had to complete six hours of training.

The course was run by David Waspe who is one of the district first response trainers.

The course included the following topics: explain to your leader or another adult about how to call 999 and explain how you help someone who is unconscious, is unconscious and not breathing, is bleeding, has a burn, has heat exhaustion, has hypothermia, is choking, is having an asthma attack, has a head injury, has a broken bone, or has a sprain or strain.

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Mark Warner, team leader of the Harnham Scout Troop said: “The Scouts really enjoyed the course and learnt some essential life skills along the way. Many thanks to Dave Waspe for running the course.”

The Scouts practising CPR Picture: Mark Warner

As well as completing the emergency aid badge, the course was used as training towards the expedition award, which the Scouts will complete later in the year.

The Scouts have already completed training in navigation, stoves and expedition cooking, lightweight tents and packing a rucksack.

The expedition award is one of the nine challenge badges that the Scouts need to gain to achieve the chief Scouts gold award and this is the highest award in the Scout section.

The Scouts were presented with their badges at the end of the course.