Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Crucial help for scalded brother
A quick-thinking Coatbridge teenager has been praised for his swift first-aid actions after his baby brother was scalded by boiling water.
Ryan Burns leapt into action when one- year- old Alfie pulled a newly-boiled kettle over himself after mum Janet’s attention was distracted for “a split second”.
He raced from his bedroom after hearing the tot’s screams, and immediately put little Alfie into the shower to apply cool water to his burns, staying calm
and explaining what had happened to paramedics when they arrived.
The 15-year-old, a pupil at St Andrew’s High, was using skills he had learned at a Fire Skills employability course held at Coatbridge fire station in February, where he learned how to respond to emergencies.
Ryan has been praised by senior officers from Scottish Fire and Rescue for his reactions – and he says he now wants to be a firefighter when he leaves school.
Mum Janet told how last month’s incident unfolded when the family’s puppy suddenly dashed into the kitchen – and as she took hold of him, she then turned just in time to see Alfie grabbing the kettle.
She said: “I looked away for a split second and Alfie had managed to get a hold of the kettle. He’s not allowed in the kitchen and I’ve got safety gates up, but they were open on this one occasion.
“I started panicking – I had no idea how it happened and I went into complete shock. I had tried to take Alfie’s T-shirt off, which Ryan said I shouldn’t have done.
“He was unbelievably calm and took control of the situation.”
She added: “I actually have no idea what I’d have done without Ryan there – I’m so proud of him.”
Ryan had learned at the Fire Skills course that water should not be too cold when being applied to burns, and that he should not remove any more clothing as this can peel off skin.
The sessions used fire service drills and emergency scenarios to train the young participants on teamwork and practical safety knowledge including resuscitation – and made such an impact that Ryan said it felt “natural and confident” when he stepped in to help his baby brother.
He said: “I was nervous but I knew I had to keep calm and take control of the situation – I just calmly took Alfie to the shower and put the water on.
“The course was good and I’d recommend it to anyone. I enjoyed everything and it taught me how to do CPR and take control of a situation while remaining calm.
“Being a firefighter was something I thought I would like to do, but now I know I want to.”
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) chief officer Martin Blunden said: “Ryan stepped into an extremely stressful and emotional situation and handled it like a true professional.
“His mum is right to be proud of him and I’m extremely happy that we were able to equip Ryan with the skills to be able to help his family at their time of need. It’s a moment that Ryan can be extremely proud of.”
Stephen Wright, the SFRS senior officer for North Lanarkshire, added that he was “proud” of Ryan’s quick actions and said: “A huge well done to Ryan for his bravery in a challenging situation. The course has proved invaluable and has helped provide over 1000 pupils with potentially life-saving knowledge.”