The Louth Badgers

Picture an upturned car. A woman is trapped in the driving seat, screaming blue murder. A man lies unconscious in the middle of the road. A few feet away there is a motorbike, its engine still running. Wandering around the road, looking dazed, there is a small child.

What will you do first? There may be only moments to decide. Which of them has priority, and how do you save them without becoming a casualty yourself?

I visited the St John's Badgers, Louth, to see how they prepared for disasters such as this. I have to admit that before now I thought the only badgers were the furry kind that snuffle around in darkness, scoffing slugs and snails like deranged Frenchmen. However these Badgers, so-called because of their black and white tabards, are the kind who save lives. They meet in Gospelgate in a room decorated with cheerful posters and diagrams, although on that night it was heated mainly by the enthusiasm of the people there.

The session kicked off with role-play. We learnt how to deal with broken legs, electric shocks, and unconscious victims. Pat McKenna, who runs the group, is a mine of terrifying information. Hands shot up when she asked who wanted to be a casualty, and I sensed that this play-acting was just as much fun as doing the first-aid. Half the group left as the others set up a situation for them to deal with. When they returned they didn't quite know where to start, but as they were covering new ground this was hardly surprising. With enough practice they can enter competitions in first aid. They may not have mastered this problem, but I noticed a competent response to a nosebleed later on, as well as some good "shake and wakes". Badgers are aged six to ten, and any knowledge of first aid that young is unusual.

"It's interesting, fun, and I like the people," Zoe Gaye said, when I asked her what she enjoyed about it. She has been coming since she was six, and her achievements include three certificates in first aid. The other members had all joined more recently. The biggest obstacle for them to overcome was shyness, rather than a lack of knowledge. And I didn't catch any of them sneaking off into the corners to chomp slugs.

Going back to the road accident we began with, did you check the motorbike for leaking petrol? If you ignored it and went straight to the biker it could have exploded, killing you both. You should have switched the engine off only if it was safe to approach, being aware also of any further dangers posed by traffic. The first priority in any accident is to check for dangers. Well done if you got this right. But if, like me, you would have waded in without any real clue what to do, just hope you have a Badger handy.

The St John's Badger Sett meets on Thursdays at 6pm in Gospelgate during termtime.