LifeFlight First Minutes Matter courses to teach trauma treatment for regional Qld residents

In a split-second decision, Western Downs man Greg Larsen risked his life to save his pride and joy, his prized 1965 XP Falcon, but suffered serious burns in the process. Here’s why he has LifeFlight to thank for coming to his rescue.

Greg Larsen from Dalby is supporting LifeFlight who came to his aid after he suffered serious burns in a shed fire.

In a medical emergency, time is everything.

All too familiar with this concept is Dalby man Greg Larsen, who has the quick response from LifeFlight to thank for saving him from more serious consequences after he suffered significant burns in a shed fire.

“Earlier this year I was in my yard and my neighbour yelled out to me that my shed was on fire. I raced down and went in there to save my prized 1965 XP Falcon and got burnt in the process,” he said.

“I’ve had that car for 30 years, it’s my best friend and I couldn't stand around to watch my friend die so I went in there to get it.

“I got pretty severe burns on my right arm from my sleeve down to my fingertips, the left arm was the same, my head, the back of my neck, my ears and down the backs of my legs were all burnt.

“I’d fought most of the fire and got it out and when the fire fighters arrived they took me aside hosed me down, cut my clothes off and took me straight off to hospital where they assessed me put me into the helicopter and I flew me to the burns unit within 51 minutes.

“I was in there for amazingly only five days and then I was back to Dalby and up to the hospital every two days for dressings for the next two months.”

Greg Larsen recovering in RBWH

Mr Larsen praised LifeFlight for saving his life.

“My interaction with LifeFlight was brilliant, they are so accommodating, they are a very professional service,” he said.

“The team of doctors in Dalby assessed me and then when the guys landed they took over and I was in there care on the way to Brisbane.

“They kept telling me the first hour is the golden hour and within that hour I was in the air back to Brisbane. I grew up in ambulance stations all my life, my dad was an ambulance superintendent, and time is everything in an emergency situation.”

Mr Larsen is now advocating for The First Minutes Matter program and says he believes everyone should know how to treat trauma.

The First Minutes Matter program which is available online and in person teaches practical trauma care skills such as treatment of snake bites, bleeding, choking and more.

“I believe every school leaver should be put through these courses, you never know when you are going to need it and if you have that knowledge already it could be the difference in saving someone's life,” Mr Larsen said.

“I was lucky I lived a couple hundred metres away from the hospital, it would be a different story if I was two hours away on a remote road, but if you know what to do it will make all the difference.”

LifeFlight FMM educator Leah Harrisson

LifeFlight FMM educator Leah Harrison encouraged people to come along to their courses and learn vital life saving skills.

“We have upcoming courses in Saint George, Goondiwindi, Texas and Stanthorpe next week and then Roma the week after that,” she said.

“It is similar to a first aid course, but it is more trauma focused so we teach safety if people were to stop at a road side accident, then we look at burns, bleeding, snake bites, choking, strokes, seizures, CPR and defibrillation.

“In regional areas the help we are going to get is a little bit further away, everybody knows if you live in regional area getting QAS or LifeFlight to come to you will take longer so having some basic skills to provide first aid on the scene makes such a difference to people's outcomes.

“Some of the things we go through it is a matter of minutes that can save someone's life, if someone is having a severe bleed and no one deals with that in that first few minutes that person will not live long enough by the time QAS gets there.”

Originally published as LifeFlight First Minutes Matter courses to teach trauma treatment for regional Qld residents