A shortage of first aid volunteers threatens to become a stumbling block for events in Weert. That is what Remy van de Kamp, chairman of the local emergency services, predicts.
The shortage of volunteer first aiders has remained under the radar for a long time. Due to the restrictive corona measures, festivals and events were on hold for almost two years. Now that the handbrake is off and the public is allowed to swarm again, it becomes clear how distressing the turnover of voluntary first aiders is.
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“In April we received 32 requests for support for an event or sports tournament. We had to say no to at least a third of those requests, or the organization withdrew the request for help because we don’t have enough volunteers,” says Van de Kamp. “And without first aiders there is a chance that an event will not take place. That depends a bit on the conditions that a municipality sets for granting a permit. The presence of first aiders is often mandatory.”
Reverse trend
The declining number of members therefore affects not only First Aid Weert but the entire community, the chairman predicts. “We help with an average of 50 events, tournaments and other public activities. We are probably just going to make it this season. I see gloomy what happens after the summer if we can’t reverse the trend.”
aging
The EHBO Weert welcomes only a handful of new volunteers every year. According to Van de Kamp, this is facilitated by the obligation for companies to have emergency response officers (in-house emergency personnel) in house and first aid officers are placed second. As a result, the flow of first aid students has dried up considerably. “Aging among the volunteers is also a thing. Of the 70 members we have, 60 percent is older than fifty.”
Much cheaper
The Van de Kamp club has helped for many years with carnival parades, football, athletics and volleyball tournaments and festivals such as Bospop. They like to call on the volunteers of the First Aid in Weert, who offer the services at a cost-effective rate. That is a piece of cake, because it is much cheaper than deploying private parties or aid workers from the Red Cross.
recruiting members
“Moving to a neighboring municipality and calling on voluntary first aiders there will not yield anything. Just like with professional organizations. Exactly the same problem occurs everywhere: a shortage of manpower,” warns Van de Kamp. The only solution he sees is to recruit more members. “Otherwise, a third to half of all events in Weert will be at risk next year.”