8 July 2026 · 5 min read · First Aid Training Central Coast
When someone collapses, the minutes before an ambulance arrives are the ones that matter most. Australian first aid training is built around a simple sequence called DRSABCD (say it "doctors ABCD"). It exists so you don't have to make decisions under pressure — you just follow the steps.
Before anything else, look around. Traffic, water, electricity, an aggressive dog — anything that could turn one casualty into two. Only approach when it's safe for you, bystanders and the casualty.
Talk and touch: ask loudly "Can you hear me? Squeeze my hands," and grip their shoulders firmly. Someone who responds needs monitoring; someone who doesn't is unconscious and needs help right now.
Call 000, or point at a specific bystander and tell them to call. Put your phone on speaker so the operator can coach you. If you're anywhere near a shopping centre, gym or club on the Central Coast, ask someone to find the nearest AED (defibrillator) — Erina Fair and most large venues have one.
Tilt the head gently back and lift the chin. If you can see something blocking the mouth — food, vomit, a loose denture — roll them to the side and clear it. An open airway is the difference between air getting in or not.
Look for chest movement, listen and feel for breath for up to 10 seconds. The occasional gasp is not normal breathing. Breathing normally? Roll them into the recovery position and keep watching. Not breathing normally? Start CPR.
Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, the other hand on top, and push hard and fast: 30 compressions about a third of the chest depth, at 100–120 per minute (the beat of "Stayin' Alive"), then 2 rescue breaths. Keep cycling 30:2. If you can't or won't give breaths, continuous compressions are far better than nothing. Swap with another person every couple of minutes if you can — effective CPR is exhausting.
Attach the AED as soon as it arrives and do what it says. It analyses the heart rhythm itself and will only shock if a shock is needed — you cannot hurt someone with one. Keep following the prompts until paramedics take over.
You stop when the person recovers, when paramedics take over, or when you physically can't continue. Don't stop to check for a pulse — keep going.
DRSABCD is easy to memorise and much harder to perform on a real person with shaking hands. That's what the practical session fixes: you practise compressions on manikins, use a real training AED, and leave knowing what "hard and fast" actually feels like. Our HLTAID009 CPR course in Erina takes 90 minutes and costs $45 — certificate issued the same day.
Daily morning and afternoon sessions at our Erina venue. Book online and attend as soon as tomorrow.
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