For events in Drenthe it is increasingly difficult to find first aid students. They also notice that in the municipality of Midden-Drenthe. Among other things, the First Aid Association from Beilen is active there, but they sometimes have to sell ‘no’ because not enough volunteers are available.
That happened to them for the coming weekend in Hijken. There it is a party week this week and first aiders are needed at several times to keep an eye on things. But not every festivity is a care provider of the association in Beilen. There are too few volunteers who can be used.
“It is increasingly difficult to get around,” says Angelina Moesker of the First Aid Association. “We had to give back a number of services here in Hijken, because we were not given the occupation.” That is very annoying for an event like the party week. Because the municipality’s permit states that the presence of first aid students is mandatory. “We asked surrounding associations for help, but nobody was just available,” says Moesker.
Chairman of the first aid association in Beilen, André van Dijken, says that the problem is greater than just Midden-Drenthe. “It plays throughout Drenthe, and also beyond. Last weekend we had an emergency request from Ter Apel and we sent two more people there. Everywhere where events are, people are short.” Together with three other first aid associations, the association is working hard to recruit new members, because they say, without a first aid, not an event.
In Hijken, the organization of the Feestweek was called to find first aid students. “Via VIA we succeeded,” says Chairman Grieta Jonkers. “They come here from Oosterwolde to help us”. The disadvantage is that the organization now loses double on first aid costs.
“A solution could be to train volunteers or board members of an organization as a first aid person,” says Moesker. “Then you always have a few care providers that you can use and then you need fewer people through us to get the occupation around”.
That is not a solution for the festive week in Hijken. “We keep this festive week every three years. The eight board members are busy with the preparations for a year and a half, I cannot ask them to also go on a first aid course,” said Jonkers, who is happy that this year we managed to have social workers on site.