The Tribune

BOTH Sandals Royal Bahamian and Sandals Emerald Bay are continuing their bid to ensure that as many as 80 per cent of their staff are trained to deliver life-saving aid, not only to resort guests, but to members of the public who may need assistance.

This means more than 1,000 people who can deliver proper CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), use an AED (automated external defibrillator) machine, and perform the Heimlich on choking victims are moving throughout the Bahamas.

“The overarching thing is preparedness,” said Sandals Royal Bahamian’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Manager, Donny Johnson. “The whole idea is preparing you for an emergency because you never know when you will need to utilize the Emergency First Response (EFR) training. When an emergency does present itself you will have the tools and training to handle it.”

Mr Johnson has been training Sandals team members in EFR for 12 years, even before he became EHS manager. He has helped certify more than 3,000 individuals.

Now, under his training, team members feel empowered and encouraged to assist in any life-threatening emergency that might happen upon.

“I feel very equipped. In the event there is a guest emergency I would know how to handle it,” said Sandals team member Kendra McPhee.

“If I had to encounter an emergency situation now I would feel comfortable assisting.”

Following the practical and theoretical training, team members are required to sit a short exam to become certified in EFR. Training is an ongoing process for Sandals’ staff, and EFR training is one of the most crucial classes offered.