First aid from tow truck drivers

IT IS not often one finds tow truck drivers giving first aid to road accident victims.

But in East London, they can do just that as most towing companies have equipped their drivers with first aid training to enable them to give assistance to road accident victims when they arrive on the scene ahead of ambulances and other health emergency workers.

Algoa Towing and Recovery owner Alwyn Smith said his staff members had between level one and level three first aid training.

“The towing association of South Africa does not have a standard set, but 90% of my guys have first aid. We service East London and surrounding areas within a 100km radius,” he said.

“If cars are burning and there is heavy bleeding, we do what we can to help. We also call the paramedics ourselves,” he added.

Smith said they had been advised not to get too involved with injured patients at accident scenes because they may unwittingly aggravate the injuries.

“At the more serious accidents we are advised to not try and treat patients because we are not paramedics.

“But if is a life-and-death situation and we are the only ones on the scene, we will not stand by and watch people die,” Smith added.

Border Towing and Recovery’s Martin van Zummeren said their drivers also had first aid training.

“We deal mostly with accidents involving large vehicles like trucks and buses. Most of our drivers have first aid training just like we always have someone with that training in the office,” said Van Zummeren.

Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said patients had to be attended to by qualified paramedics especially in light of the spate of medico-legal cases being brought against the state.

Private ambulance services in East London said that while they usually cautioned against accident victims being touched while waiting for paramedics, it was always helpful when qualified people assisted in busy accident scenes. —