Lifesaving Bus Driver Represents Industry Well

A local bus driver from Devon is being hailed as a hero today after he stopped his bus to help a man who had fallen and hit his head. This bus driver went above and beyond both the call of duty and standard bus driver training to provide much-needed first aid in a genuine emergency. In so doing, he has also well represented the entire commercial driving industry.

News reports say that 36-year-old Barry Smith was driving his regular route with no passengers aboard when he witnessed a man falling to the ground and hitting his head. Being trained in first aid, Smith immediately parked his bus and ran to help. He discovered the man had collapsed as the result of a heart attack while walking down the street with his wife. He immediately enlisted the help of another passer-by and began CPR.

Smith also used his smartphone to dial 999, then handed the phone to the man’s wife so she could give first responders directions to their location. Smith and the other gentleman then kept the man alive until paramedics arrived.

Ironically, Smith was unfamiliar with the area having only taken over the route a few weeks before. He found himself explaining to passengers he picked up later in the day why he had been delayed. Smith said that they were very understanding in light of the circumstances.

Professional Drivers Are Good People

Here at the HGV Training Centre, we want to commend Mr Smith for his lifesaving actions in Devon. Had it not been for his swift thinking and the help of the second gentleman, it is entirely possible the heart attack victim would not be alive today.

While Mr Smith’s actions certainly deserve recognition, he is by no means alone. The professional driving industry is made up of countless individuals who are both highly professional and genuinely caring about others. We have reported on similar stories in the past that prove as much. Professional drivers are good people, despite a lot of negative attention received by a small minority in the press.

We also want to point out that Smith’s first aid training was not part of the standard bus driver training needed to obtain a PCV licence. He received extra training to be certified as a first aid provider. That said, any professional who wants to undergo the additional training is more than welcome to do so. We can never have enough trained first aiders on the road.

Training as a first aid provider has an added benefit in that it may qualify as part of the normal CPC driver requirements. The trained driver could apply his or her training to mandatory CPC hours while at the same time receiving training that could save a life.

For more information about bus driver training, feel free to contact the HGV Training Centre at any time. We conduct training classes at dozens of locations around the country, scheduled on a regular basis.

Sources:

1. Mirror – http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/big-hearted-bus-driver-pulls-8122963?ICID=FB_mirror_main