Week 9#
First aid, reporting, and wildlife rescue#
Safety First, Then Everything Else#
Safety, before anything is recorded#
Is the vehicle off the traffic lane? Are hazard lights on? Is anyone hurt?
Nothing else in this lecture applies until that’s settled.
Three real tasks — not four#
- ensure safety
- contact the right service
- give useful information
There is no fourth task. Treating or handling the animal isn’t taught here, and isn’t something an untrained person should attempt.
Observation, not guesswork#
- location precise enough to find again
- number of animals, species if confident
- condition observed, not guessed
“It didn’t move after I looked” — observation. “It’s probably fine” — guess wearing an observation’s clothes.
What this lecture does not teach#
Do not approach for a better photo or a species ID.
Large macropods, snakes, monitor lizards, bats, koalas, birds of prey — the categories most consistently flagged as untrained-handling risks.
This is a hard boundary, not a judgement call for the person at the scene.
DRSABCD — named, not reproduced#
Danger · Response · Send for help · Airway · Breathing · CPR · Defibrillation
St John Australia’s own fact sheet says this “is not a substitute for first aid training.” A slide is a worse substitute than their fact sheet.
Serious injury, urgent medical help needed, or immediate danger to a person → 000, before anything else.
Real contacts#
| Situation | Contact |
|---|---|
| Life-threatening danger, serious injury, urgent hazard | 000 |
| Wildlife rescue advice, anywhere in Australia | WIRES: 1300 094 737, 24/7 |
| Your region’s on-the-ground rescuer | Find it via WIRES’ state-by-state list — a separate step from calling WIRES |
Three kinds of guidance#
Legal obligation. Organisational process. General advice.
Keep them visibly separate — don’t blend “the law requires this” with “WIRES asks for this” with “this is just sensible.”
Next week#
This week assumed the person receiving your report can act on it — which only works if what you told them was actually clear under stress.
Week 10 designs communication for exactly that reader: fast, no local context, possibly a second language.