Community First Aid Centre students from Bonnyrigg High School. Picture: Mike Szabath
BONNYRIGG High School has opened Australia's first community first aid centre on public school grounds.
The idea for the centre, which was officially opened on Friday, developed when a local parent and St John Ambulance Australia member Stan Walden established the Bonnyrigg High School St John cadet division in 2009.
The division meets every Friday at the school for two hours and provides training in first aid and opportunities to practise at community events and training camps including the annual St John state and interstate camps. All cadets are issued with a St John Ambulance Australia cadet uniform shortly after joining the division.
Mr Walden said he was thrilled to have this new centre on the school grounds. "We have been overwhelmed, since launching the program, by the success of bringing together young people to provide first-aid trained cadet support to St John Ambulance," he said.
"Building a centre on school grounds has been funded by the community and will be operated by the community and available to be used by the community if emergency situations arise."
The new facility has two treatment rooms, a mezzanine storage area and undercover parking for a first aid/ambulance vehicle.
Bonnyrigg High School received funding to build the centre from the state government and Mounties.