LOCAL students will learn lifesaving first aid skills, following a $20,000 grant from Community Bank Collie. 
The program, First Aid Focus, started on Monday at Amaroo Primary School, with students from kindergarten through to year six learning the important skills. 
St John community engagement officer Robina Haines said the different age groups would be taught age-appropriate skills. 
The year one and year two students learnt “DRS”, which stands for “danger”, “response” and “send for help”. 
The year three to year six students learnt “DRSABCD”, which covers the added skills of checking the “airway”, “breathing”,  “CPR” and “defibrillation”.
Ms Haines said the skills were taught using easy-to-understand methods.
“For the younger students, it’s all about learning what is an emergency, who to call and what questions will be asked by the operator,” she said. 
“We need to remove the fear from the situation. We teach the students to remain safe and calm.”
Ms Haines said the lifesaving skills were recently put into action by a previous year three student who, after arriving home from school, saved her mother’s life after she fell into a diabetic coma. 
“This is proof that it works,” she said. 
Community Bank manager Narelle Michalak said teaching children first aid skills helped ensure they could keep themselves, friends and family safe.
“Life-threatening situations are extremely stressful for adults, so this stress is amplified tenfold for children,” she said. 
“Accidents can happen anywhere, at any time, and it’s important for children to know how to act in these situations. 
“Providing the skills to remain safe and calm, while rendering first aid, is something we want them to feel confident about, should they ever find themselves in a dangerous situation.” 
The first aid sessions will be implemented at Wilson Park Primary School tomorrow, as well as Allanson Primary School, Fairview Primary School, St Brigid’s School and Collie Senior High School in the coming weeks.