Established in 1986, First 5 Minutes has become Australasia’s most experienced specialist provider of emergency procedures, training and compliance solutions, providing a full range of consulting services for all types of facilities.

The company has kept pace with changing times through the development of flexible, cost-effective, online training options designed to help clients deal with ever-increasing budget constraints.

First 5 Minutes trains over 400,000 people each year, imparting the knowledge and skills required for Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) personnel to carry out their duties and deal competently with emergency situations.

“We have been promoting safety and reducing risk in facilities for 25 years and we are particularly adept at catering to the requirements of government departments and councils throughout Australia,” said managing director, Alex de Waal.

“We can assess risk, explain statutory obligations, develop a response plan, train staff and provide cost-effective compliance solutions tailored to relevant legislation and regulations; and to the individual needs of any government workplace.”

First 5 Minutes provides Annual Safety Certification for facility managers; offers a range of consulting services including Fire Safety Audits, Essential Services Safety Audits and the development of personalised Management In Use Plans; and is experienced in all types of work environments, ranging from metropolitan office towers to regional mining sites.

Accredited on-site training

Face-to-face training sessions are delivered on-site, minimising downtime, eliminating the need for staff to travel to capital cities for training, and ensuring ECO personnel receive the hands-on experience they need to respond optimally in emergency situations within their specific work environment.

“Our sole focus has always been on maximising safety and minimising risk to people and property by providing expert, independent advice and appropriate safety training,” said Mr de Waal.

The accredited training programs are tailored to requirement, but generally involve imparting skills and knowledge required to:

• Assess Threats
• Conduct Evacuations
• Suppress Fires
• Participate In Rescue Operations
• Administer Oxygen
• Provide Care & Manage Injuries In Emergency Situations
• Render Hazardous Materials Incidents Safe

Online training

The company’s breakthrough Self Paced Online Training (SPOT) system is designed to augment face-to-face training, reinforcing competencies gained through the F5M ECO training program, and providing extra flexibility to deal with staff availability for training, and with changes in staff.

The SPOT Occupant Training (SPOT-OT) solution provides the client’s Training Manager with an online system that can ensure all relevant staff are trained at the required intervals, and that all necessary records are maintained.

F5M online warden training modules are customised to meet the needs of the specific working environment, and can include supplementary ECO training for Emergency Procedures, Use of Fire Extinguishers, Bomb Threats and Civil Disobedience.

F5M SPOT training modules can be personalised with the logo of any government department or council so that the organisation’s commitment to safety can be emphasised to employees.

Unsurpassed expertise

Mr de Waal said the company has differentiated itself in the market by fulfilling clients’ requirements for reliable and fully compliant emergency procedures, while providing unsurpassed training expertise.

He said the company’s proprietary R.E.A.C.T. training program set a new standard for safety training in Australia, integrating media tools, demonstrations, and experiential training activities.

The R.E.A.C.T. program encourages greater interest and participation through training that is more engaging, incorporating site-relevant scenarios.

Greater engagement by wardens has also been encouraged through the establishment of a facebook site for the warden community: facebook.com/emergencywardens.

“We’re a registered training organisation and our training staff are the most highly qualified in the industry; they’re not just experts in emergency procedures, they’re experts in training,” said Mr de Waal.

Compliance made easy

“We’ve continued to simplify compliance for facility managers with innovations such as our online record keeping service that provides 24/7 access to compliance documentation and allows easy monitoring of a facility’s ECO safety systems from anywhere in the world,” said Mr de Waal.

“With regulations and requirements for essential safety services within facilities becoming ever more complex, our compliance solutions provide extra peace of mind.”

First 5 Minutes provides services to clients in all parts of Australia through its offices in Brisbane, Mackay, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

The company’s services have also been engaged in Europe, Asia and South Pacific nations.

For further information contact: Alex de Waal, Managing Director, + 61 7 3355 2855 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it