The ultimate insurance policy

It's always difficult to tell what the general perception of first aiders is. I've been to plenty of events as a spectator and to be quite honest I’ve never really given them a moments thought. I'm relatively young and healthy so unlikely to become unwell, and the events I go to are not the kind where I am likely to get injured (except for the occasional Old Firm game).

I imagine that being the case for the vast majority of people as only a few will ever actually need first aid. Those few are nearly always grateful and extremely glad of our presence, but they are still the minority. For everyone else, first aiders just blend into the background. Noticeable by their yellow jackets, but that is about as much attention as they get.

I discovered differently however at a recent event I was at, the Loch Ness Marathon. This was my second (and last) marathon and it didn't quite go according to plan. By halfway I had completely shredded my nipples due to the rain-soaked running top I was wearing. The rain-soaked top soon became blood-soaked, and to make matters worse I tore my calf muscle shortly after the halfway point.


First aiders from the Red Cross were stationed every few miles so it was tempting to stop and get some help. In the end I stubbornly decided to press on, fearing that if I did stop I would probably struggle to get started again. Even though I didn’t need any first aid, it was comforting to know that trained first aiders were there. If the condition of my leg worsened and I physically could not go on, there would be someone who could deal with it and make sure I was given treatment safely and effectively.

Having first aiders at these events is just like having an insurance policy. Nearly everyone has their home insured, their car insured and, more commonly these days, their pet insured. Hardly anyone ever expects to make use of their insurance and most probably never will. It's just one of those things that sits in the background just in case the worst happens. And if the worst does happen, it's reassuring to know that help is readily available.