Burgas Municipality, the Union of Paramedics in Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian Youth Red Cross - Burgas launched a pilot project for first aid training in all sixth-grade schools within the municipality. The training sessions are led by instructors from the Union of Paramedics and the Youth Red Cross.
The training, which began at the beginning of the month, aims to increase students' knowledge and skills in emergency situations.
Iva Pehlivanska, Chairwoman of the Union of Paramedics in Bulgaria, stated: “Our ambition is for children to master first aid as a basic life skill. This is not just knowledge – it is an ability that saves lives. Children are very curious and active.”
The training includes two academic hours – one theoretical and one practical, dedicated to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) - a life-saving technique that is applied when a person has stopped breathing or whose heart has stopped beating. They are held during class time, according to a specially developed program. Burgas Municipality provides the necessary conditions, including a hall, technical equipment, and logistical support.
During the first sessions, the sixth graders showed great interest and asked questions such as: “And if a person is afraid to help, what should they do?”, “How do we know that someone really needs help?”. The instructors demonstrated how important confidence, composure, and the correct sequence of actions are.
The project partners hope that this project will become a national initiative and become part of civic education in all schools in the country.