Blog 2 - New Perspectives I have learnt from my Classmates

Here are three blogs by my class mates that I have learned from and gained a new perspective on three different events.  Thank you to my class mates for sharing their insights.

Blog 1 - By Stuart Minnock

Stuart wrote about a personal incident that happened when he and his family took their daughter 3, and niece 6, to their local swimming pool.  As the kids were excited to get in the water Stuart and his family watched them from the poolside chairs as they got changed.  Stuart has highlighted the following points:

• Ages of the children - 3 and 6 years old
• 6 year old was not a strong swimmer and had just started swimming on her own
• Children were not swimming near the edge of the pool - closest person/object the 3 year old daughter could hold onto was the 6 year old niece
• Lifeguard was on duty - Divided attention between all families at the pool
• Other families at the pool
• 6-10 swimmers in the water
• Other family member were also watching the girls

I found Stuart's perspective really interesting, (I'm so very glad it had a happy ending) as it gave me an idea of what a parent goes through in that situation.  Having worked as a life guard and swimming instructor I think I also have a different perspective on the situation as well, from the "other side".  

Firstly, I would like to make very clear I am not criticizing any parent, they have a tough job.  I have always tried to understand and  I struggle with the fact that so many parents of children this age, with this level of swimming ability have the same view, that watching from the sidelines gives enough time to get to the child if something goes wrong.  The girls, being as young as they are and it was known that they are not strong confident swimmers (not many are at that age) that the family, as so many families do every time, think it is safe and nothing is going to happen.

There are so many elements (as there is with any job) to being a life guard, who not only has to watch the water but all those around it, on land as well.  I agree with Stuart's observation that the life guard's attention was divided, it absolutely is and that is why swimming facilities state that children should be supervised at all times.  They must be able to assess each and every swimmers ability, is anyone relying on flotation assistance, if they are under 16, determine if there is parental supervision are they in or out of the water.  They then prioritise each swimmer according to their assessment, this process happens continually as new swimmers enter the water.  I do agree with Stuart that the life guard should have checked on the family after the incident to make sure everything was okay, but then again the issue of divided attention comes to light, they may not have known what caused his niece's distress.  

Thank you to Stuart for sharing his perspective, I have really learnt a lot from the perspective of a parent and what they go through in a situation like that.

Blog 1 - By Brigitte Hilton

I found Brigitte's blog "Three taken to hospital after head-on smash" very informative.  Three people were sent to hospital after a head-on collision, Brigitte has covered a broad range of perspectives of all parties involved.  There are many aspects to an accident scene with numerous agencies working together as team to help the injured occupants of the vehicles. 

It does raise some questions for me that I hadn't really reflected upon before, incidents such as car accidents of this severity can have lasting stressful effects on all parties involved.

• How would attending incidents like this on a regular basis effect their perceptions? 
• What are the different ways the emergency services personnel process and deal with what they have seen? 
• How do the families cope? 
• Are the debriefing meetings for each first responding department the same or different? 
• For the hospital staff working in this environment everyday what sort of coping mechanisms do they adopt?
• Does the tow truck companies offer support to their drivers after attending serious traffic collisions?
• How does the photographer feel about photographing the incident, is it something they cover often?

All these questions certainly have changed the way I view the work done by our first responders and the doctors and nurses in the emergency departments.  Thank you Brigitte for helping to broaden my perspective. 

Blog 1 - By Lachlan Campbell

I have a new appreciation for railway workers, Lachlan's blog about a railway incident he was involved in, where a train went the wrong way through a set of points on the tracks was really interesting.  There are so many elements to a train leaving the station and travelling to, and arriving at its destination had never occurred to me before.  

As I was reading, I wondered:

• What sort of training do rail workers undertake?
• When incidents occur what sort of support is available?
• What sort of checks are performed prior to leaving?
• It must be a rewarding experience volunteering for something that can make such happy memories for holiday makers.

I have been given an insight into how technical and complex rail lines, trains and how they work can be.  There are so many aspects people using rail as their mode of transport everyday wouldn't even realise the complexities and work involved in getting them to their destination.

Thank you Lachlan for sharing your perspective.