Sutton REALTOR® Increases First Aid Skills
CANADA – As incredible as it may sound, this could happen: In the morning, a homeowner could list their property with Ken Welte; in the afternoon, they could go for a hike, get lost and be rescued by Ken; and in the evening, they could sprain an ankle at a music festival and receive First Aid from Ken. It’s all in a day’s work for this Sutton REALTOR®, who recently added to his long list of qualifications by becoming certified to drive a Mobile Post for St. John Ambulance (SJA).
As COVID restrictions ease, SJA is gearing up to provide emergency care at an increasing number of community events. The organization requires trained drivers for their Mobile Post vehicles, each of which provides a warm, dry space to administer First Aid. As a SJA volunteer since 2019, Ken jumped on the opportunity to expand his skill set.
Operating these large, diesel vehicles (similar to ambulances) required classroom sessions and practice on a driving course. Ken and other students learned technical skills, like how to activate fast idle in the vehicle and how to start the vehicle if the main battery isn’t working. They also learned SJA-approved hand signalling, which is used by a spotter to help a driver reverse a Mobile Post vehicle.
“We learned the techniques to drive forward and reverse on a serpentine course and to make a panic stop—all the usual stuff of a professional driving course,” says Ken, whose next challenge is obtaining Medical First Aid Responder certification in early 2022.
In addition to volunteering with SJA, Ken and his wife, Laura, completed extensive training to join the Ladysmith Search and Rescue in 2017. Later this month, the couple plan to practice transporting a casualty down a wilderness trail in a stretcher. This is all in addition to Ken’s two decades of volunteering with the Air Cadets.
Why so dedicated? “I remember hearing a comment from Chris Hadfield something like: Today, try to make yourself better than you were yesterday. That’s kind of my philosophy,” says Ken. “At this point in my career, and with the help of my wife and business partner Laura, I can take a few days off a month for professional development. We are community-oriented people who feel it is our responsibly to give back.”
Sutton is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated company with more than 6,500 REALTORS® in over 200 offices nationwide. To find out more about Sutton, visit www.sutton.com. To learn more about Sutton Spirit, visit www.suttonspirit.com.
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Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd. Contact:
Brooke Matthews
604-691-1689
stories@suttonspirit.com
Sutton Group - West Coast Realty (Nanaimo) Contact:
Ken Welte
250-751-5630
kwelte@sutton.com