VAN DER BIJL PARK [ Vaal University ] on 31 July 2009 at 13:15

At least one man was killed and another seriously wounded in an attempted cash heist at the Vaal University this afternoon.

Shortly after 13:00 paramedics from Sedibeng responded to the scene and found chaos on the campus as students were shocked about the incident.

One man, believed to be a suspect was found dead near the cash van with a gunshot wound to his head and another, also believed to be a suspect, in a critical condition. The man also sustained a gunshot wound to his head and paramedics initiated advanced life support on the scene.

Paramedics stabilized the man on the scene and called for the Discovery-ER24 Medicopter to evacuate him to a hospital in Johannesburg where he will be receiving further specialist treatment.

A student was also caught in the crossfire and sustained a gunshot wound to his arm. He is in a stable condition and was transported by ER24 to a nearby hospital in Sebokeng for further medical treatment.

It is understood from bystanders that five suspects stormed the cash guards and opened fire on them and the guards retaliated. No security guard was injured in this shootout. They are all being treated for shock on the scene.

It is not clear if the police made any arrests and they are still investigating.

Cape Town [Athlone] N2 on 31 July 2009 at 08h45

Twenty three people were taken to hospital after two taxis collided on the N2, just before the Jan Smuts Road turn-off in the direction of Cape Town this morning.

Paramedics worked in the pouring rain extricating and treating patients from the taxis. The patients' injuries varied from moderate to minor and were taken by ER24 and Metro EMS ambulances to various hospitals for further treatment.

While emergency services worked on scene, another collision occurred between two cars on the other side of the N2, luckily no-one was injured in the second collision.

The bus/taxi lane towards Cape Town was closed while emergency services worked on scene.

Grabouw - N2 on 30 July 2009 at 13h45

Around 73 people were allegedly involved in a collision involving a bus and a bakkie on the N2 near Grabouw this afternoon.

One person was dead on arrival of emergency services, two people sustained serious injuries, eleven people sustained moderate injuries with the remaining fifty nine people sustaining minor or no injuries.

The patients with serious and moderate injuries, and some of the minor injured, were taken by ER24 and Metro EMS ambulances to various surrounding hospitals. The majority of the remaining fifty nine people who were involved in the collision were taken by other buses from the scene.

Rescue crews from the Fire Department and Metro Rescue assisted with the treatment of the patients. Police were in attendance and are investigating the collision.

Durban ( Dalton ) CNR Of Canada and Williams road at 15h30 on the 30 July 09

A father and son have narrowly escaped with there lives this afternoon after the motor vehicle they were travelling in collided with a truck that was turning. ER24 arrived on the scene, they found the driver had been put in the back seat to wait for emergency personal to arrive. By looking at the mechanism of the collision, the driver was treated for possible neck and back injuries and shock. He was transported to a near by hospital in serious but stable condition. His son was examined and went with his father for a check up.

It is believed that the driver of the light motor vehicle was travelling along Williams road and was caught unaware of the truck that was turning into Canada road. The driver tried to avoid the truck but slammed in to the side of the truck. Lucky for the son who at this stage was seated behind his father when the collision occurred, may have suffered severe injuries from the impact.

SAPS, Metro Police and Fire Department were in attendance

Durban ( Sydham ) Stanley Copley Drive near Randles Road at 14h30 on the 29 July 09

A 11yr old boy is in a critical condition after been knocked down by a motor vehicle this afternoon. When ER24 Paramedics arrived on the scene, they found the young boy in the front seat of the bakkie that had hit him. Intermediate Life Support paramedic Morne' Venter assessed the boy's vitals and for any signs of spinal injuries. At this stage the boy was in traumatic shock. ER24 paramedic''s placed a collar on to support his neck, in case of any injuries to the neck and back. He was taken out of the vehicle and stabilised further before been taken to the ambulance.

The young boy started to show signs of a head injury and became very critical on the scene. Advanced Life Support intervention was done to help stabilise the young boy further been transported to a near by hospital in a critical but stable condition.

It is believed that the young boy ran across the road with his friend with out looking in both directions. This is a on going problem that paramedics are finding them selfs everyday with pedestrians not using crossings that have been marked to use or children have not been educated enough on the use of the crossings.

CRESTA [ Randburg ] Business Park in Cresta 29 July 2009 at 17:00

A 33 year old businessman was allegedly shot and killed this afternoon in his office by an employee at a business park in Cresta.

Shortly before 17:00 paramedics responded to the business park and found the man lying face down in a pool of blood behind his desk. He sustained a wound to his head and was already dead when paramedics arrived on the scene. There was nothing more that paramedics could do to save the man's life and he was declared dead.

It is understood that the manager was shot allegedly by one of the employees after he was told that he could no longer work for the company.

Employees chased the suspect as he fled the building and caught him in the parking lot. He was later handed over to the police.

The police will be investigating the incident.

MEYERTON [ Vereeniging ] Weilbach Road - Link Between Meyerton and De Deur on 28 July 2009 at 14:40

A man believed to be in his mid twenties have been killed in a head on collision between a taxi and a Toyota Corolla.

Paramedics from ER24 that arrived on the scene found the chaotic scene with at least 14 people injured. On assessment they found the man still trapped behind the steering wheel of his Corolla. It is believed that he died on impact. He sustained multiple injuries and was declared dead by paramedics on the scene.

14 occupants including the driver of the taxi sustained injuries when the taxi collided with the car. Paramedics treated all of the occupants for multiple bruises and injuries.

No one was seriously injured in the taxi, but all of the occupants were transported to various hospitals in the area for further medical treatment.

It is not clear who is responsible for the collision. The local authorities will investigate the accident.

Western Cape - on 28 July 2009 at 07h00

Paramedic students from a university in the Western Cape saved a fellow student after he went into cardiac arrest while exercising on the campus earlier this morning.

It is alleged that the nineteen year old engineering student was running on the track at the campus when he went into cardiac arrest. Two paramedic students who had witnessed the events ran over and assessed the patient.

The patient was not breathing and did not have the a pulse when the paramedic students got to him, they initiated CPR and phoned ER24.

The crews from ER24 arrived quickly and an advanced life support resuscitation was carried out with the assistance of the paramedic students.

After around fifteen minutes of advanced life support resuscitation, the paramedics got a pulse back on the patient and he started to breathe spontaneously.

He was then rushed to Louis Leipoldt Medi-Clinic where he was stabilised in the casualty and was admitted to the intensive care unit. Doctors are carrying out tests to determine the cause of the cardiac arrest.

The advanced life support paramedic on scene said that the early initiation of good CPR by the paramedic students was the biggest contributing factor in resuscitating the patient successfully.

ER24 Training Academy

If an environment is inherently dangerous, occasional accidents are inevitable no matter what precautions are taken. For this reason it is essential that workers know what to do if an accident occurs. If employees have received first aid training and know how to react in an emergency situation, what could have been a fatal accident can often be reduced to a relatively minor one.
Cognizant of the importance of CPR training, ER24 Emergency Medical Services has launched a training academy that is aimed at providing comprehensive training to companies and organizations.
ER24’s first aid training consists of a wide range of information that prepares workers to perform first aid in any emergency situation. All content adheres strictly to HWSETA unit standards and covers areas such as basic principles of first aid and safety, basic anatomy and physiology, emergency scene management, CPR, dressing and bandages, medical and trauma environmental emergencies and bites and stings.
Courses have been carefully prepared to ensure that information is easily understandable and that it equips employees with the necessary information to act efficiently in an emergency.
ER24’s training academy is also nationally and internationally accredited through the Emergency Care and Safety Institute of America (ECSI), the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the local Department of Labor and Health and Welfare SETA alignment.
Companies have an obligation to prepare workers for medical emergency situations. What many still do not realize, however, is that this is a legal obligation that leaves employers criminally negligent if they do not conform to regulations. Regulation states that “an employer shall take all reasonable steps that are necessary under the circumstances to ensure that persons at work receive prompt first aid treatment in case of injury or emergency”.
While many companies disregard these regulations, organizations within the heavy industries cannot afford to be so careless. The nature of these industries means that employees have a much higher likelihood of being in an accident and subsequently requiring emergency first aid. And because of this companies must provide workers with the necessary first aid training. It’s not only a legal requirement, but a moral responsibility as well.

Focusing on quality of education, expansion of our curriculums and courses to meet the ever changing and dynamic needs of the emergency medical services community, the ER24 Training Academy has launched courses that are internationally accredited and locally accepted allowing for CPD / CEU points allocation and upgrading our skills.
Our new academy affords you an uplifting, inspiring educational experience, one that we are proud to produce for you, it’s well worth a visit, feel free to pop in anytime you’re in the area.

As the ER24 Training Academy has your clinical skills at heart, Your ability to deliver high end patient care and top notch emergency assistance is paramount, it promotes the public image of ER24 and our profession as a whole and it is what we aim to achieve.
We are now proud to offer our intermediate and basic life support staff the ACLS for EMT-B course, a publication by Jones and Bartlett that is accredited through the AAOS (American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons) and ACEP (American College of Emergency Physicians) and offers you an unique insight into the world of Advanced Cardiac Life Support, what drugs they use and how to use them, ECG interpretation and airway management techniques as well as a whole host of incite full pointers and procedures.

Ledged Gorge Challenge, Waterberg

The ER24 EMS Events division took it to the limit once again this weekend with the Legend Gorge Challenge extreme cycle race, with hill ascends of over 40 degrees, roaming big 5 wildlife and 260 cyclists going all out through the Entabeni Game reserve, ER24 was there through it all. Covering a 15, 35 and 70 kilometer route around the reserve, cycled amongst rhino, lion and the odd herbivore these extreme cyclists took on the challenges of the Waterberg.

ER24 Events Division provided two fully equipped medical rescue 4x4 landrover 110 defenders, two quad bikes and a full Paramedic support unit with technical, steep slope and lifting rope rescue capability were provided.

Whilst the day very fortunately yielded nothing more than bruised egos and a few scrapes and bumps with the very capable aid of the Medi Clinic team and Dr. Vernon Else, essential onsite professional medical care was available and rendered as needed including several manned medical tables on the route and a full on site medical center in at the finish which included physiotherapists, nursing staff and medical doctors.

A big thank you to the Events team, Johan McDermott, Mandy Gray, Tim Gray, Mel Hye and Lloyd Krause for all the hard work and many hours of travel and planning that made the event such a success.