birdbrain
"if someone collapses I expect one of the volunteer first aid trained work colleagues will be summoned or the situation might need a doctor or ambulance - but not me, because I dont choose to."
What if you personally had cardiac arrest and your heart stopped with the possibility of being restarted if your nearest colleague knew and used first aid? This, as opposed to wandering off to look for somebody that knew CPR while you died because they "don't choose to" know about it?
"If a medic is required on board I think a professional one should be employed for the job"
There is very rarely a situation where a medic IS required on board. The situation I described above may be rare but is no less serious.
Not because you "....dont have faith in cc, but they've got their own job to be getting on with"? The primary function of cabin crew is for the health and safety of everyone on board. You may argue that this only includes flight-related hazards, but being in mid-air nowhere near a hospital does seem to constitute a hazard created by flight to me!
"why not have someone else sitting just as anonymously in the expectation that he might have to save somebody "
How do you compare the different wide-scale effects of
- A terrorist attack on an airliner
- One passenger being attacked by a life-threatening medical emergency whilst in flight
and further, what are the relative probabilities that all passengers and crew could be killed in each situation? Therefore, from your judgement, which scenario would you consider to be more serious?
The reason I'm biting here is because last week an elderly man fell outside a store locally severely hurting himself, requiring help; and the staff refused to call an ambulance for him as the incident didn't take place inside. How on earth that excuses them from doing the decent thing is beyond me.
Everyone should have a reasonable level of proficiency in First Aid at least, and be prepared to use it. It is respect for others around you, something that I feel is irreplacable.
Thanks
Andy
(promise I don't normally rant like this!)