The Tribune

Sandals is training more than 1,000 staff to become Emergency First Response (EFR) certified in case of emergencies on and off the resort campus.

Both Sandals Royal Bahamian and Sandals Emerald Bay are continuing their bid to ensure 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.

That 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 utilise the 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.

“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 in order to become certified in EFR. Training is an ongoing process for Sandals’ staff, and EFR training is one of the most important classes offered.