The Volcanic Eruption Emergency Project (VEEP) launched a Wilderness First Aid Training Program on Thursday May 15th, 2025, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross Society (SVGRC).
The Program will engage thirty (30) participants, including twenty five (25) Forestry Department staff and five (5) VEEP officers, who will receive certified training; equipping them with lifesaving skills to respond to medical emergencies in isolated environments.
The training will be delivered over a 48-hour course, combining theory and practical sessions across a 2-3 month period.
Training topics include emergency assessment, wound care, CPR, treatment of fractures, burns, hypothermia, and managing environmental illnesses.
Speaking at the launch, Bertillon Hamilton, a certified instructor with decades of experience in wilderness first aid, CPR, AED, and emergency response, highlighted the importance of the activity.
This initiative forms part of VEEP activities aimed at restoring areas severely impacted by the 2021 La Soufrière eruptions and Hurricane Elsa.
