St. John Division Urgently Needs Personnel

Chronicle (Levin), 6 May 1949, Page 4

St. John Division Urgently Needs Personnel

Eacing a busy sports season wrth tis strength well below that oi previous years is the position in \vhich#the Levin division of the St. John Ambulance Brigade finds itse f today. How it is going to ensure the contiiiuous manning of nine sports fields with its 11 active members will be the problem which , it will have to face. • Last year and in lat'e years the membership has been 15 active members, and even this proved inadequate for the jofc it would like to do. The president of the Levin division, Mty H. Palmer, said todaj that the division could otfy jusi man all the fields, but with twc men for senior games the complele active personnel would be on duty every Saturday and there would be no allowance . for .sickness or the inability of a member to atleno Thus there would be only one man Where two were required, it being the policy of the brigade to have two fully trained men for senior games. Next Tuesday , night will see the first of this year's classes in the R.S.A. rooms in Oxford Street, and .t is by ihis means that the division hopes principally to obtain recruits. Others are welcome, too, even if they do not decide to become members, but out of the classes it is hoped to secure at least six more to strenethen their ranks.

The ciasses in first aid start at 7.30 p.m., the divisional surgeon. Dr. S. J. Thompson, giving the lectures and examining the practical work. These days when traffic is particularly heavy on the roads, | ahd when there is always the danger of domeslie accidents, a knowledge of first aid is invaluable The local division of St. John is also working for the day when it can establish an ambulance station. and purchase its own ambulance and equipment. The great need in Levin for such a service is mosi. apparent considering that victims of accidents in the Levin distric. . have to await the arrival of an ambulance from Otaki or Palmerston North. The division has already purchased a, section in Queen Street and in the spring it intends to start a campaign to raise funds for its building plans. It is interesting ot note that 53 per cent. of the ambu'ances in New Zealand are manned and controlled by the St. Johjn Ambulance Brigade, and they are used exclusively in all the main centres except Wellington. _____