Creating a cohort of first-aiders for the road network is no easy task and requires significant resources and careful coordination.
Unlike a conventional workplace, where first-aid provision is the responsibility of a single employer, creating and managing a cohort of on-road first-aiders requires interaction between multiple employers.
This can only be achieved through the operation of a structured organisation, which is why Driver First Assist was created.
Drivers that have undertaken some form of first-aid training provide an important albeit limited resource, but it is not enough to achieve the significant reduction in fatalities that could be achieved with a coordinated response. Furthermore, on-roader first-aiders require a broader range of skills to deal with the potentially dangerous environment that a road traffic collision creates; skills that can only be gained by completing the specialist DFA training course.
DFA was created in partnership with the emergency services, the ultimate experts in responding to RTCs. DFA’s training materials were produced by the emergency services, and the training is delivered by emergency services personnel. It is this close association that ensures the content and delivery of training materials is always fit for purpose and cutting edge.
And it is because DFA is a structured organisation that these important lines of communication can be maintained, and a high standard of training delivered with consistency.
DFA is a not-for-profit organisation, but it has to function commercially to operate effectively. Sales and marketing are as important to DFA as to any business. Without marketing, no one would be aware of the purpose for which we exist and as noble as our cause is, without sales, we sell no training courses.
Our customers are drawn from a wide spectrum of businesses employing and engaging with drivers, from the smallest of transport operators through to government agencies. Meeting the needs of such a diverse customer base can be challenging, which is why we have a professional management team to ensure every aspect of our operation is quality controlled.
Our capacity and capability are designed to meet the needs of every type of organisation, and we routinely deliver courses on 24/7 basis. For customer convenience our training is predominantly delivered on-site. However, experience has taught us that the biggest challenge most businesses face is taking drivers out of mainstream operations to attend a training course.
Our response to this challenge is to invest in the delivery of courses on a regional basis, enabling businesses to secure places at times and in numbers that have minimal impact on operations.
The ultimate objective of DFA is to create a community of on-road first-aiders. Branding is important to any organisation, and DFA is no exception. DFA responders wear bespoke hi-vis when assisting at an incident, making themselves visible to the emergency services as specialist trained responders, supplied by vGroup International.
The DFA community creates a sense of belonging to those that become members, regardless of who their employer might be. Through this community, DFA members can seek support and report on incidents, having provided assistance. Member engagement also enables DFA to monitor activity, measure effectiveness and record achievements.
Levelling up on the standard of first-aid available to drivers to match provision in a conventional workplace is a big challenge, but one that should and must be met. And the opportunity to significantly reduce RTC fatalities and serious injuries is of a magnitude that justifies substantial investment.
DFA has created the organisational capacity and wherewithal to deliver on that challenge, helping businesses to better protect their drivers when working in the UK’s most dangerous workplace.
