The talk opened with a challenge. Could you provide First Aid in an emergency? All present hesitated because they admitted they would be unsure what to do and fretted that they might do more harm than good and end up being sued. Mrs Fitzpatrick assured her audience that everyone can do something and in the space of 50 minutes proved her point with a convincing demonstration in which she was supported by her two Red Cross colleagues, Rebecca Donnelly and Gary Nugent. The first response to an emergency is to shout for help or dial 999. If the patient is bleeding an article of clothing can be used to apply pressure to the wound. The acronym F.A.S.T. is a good guide when called upon to help someone who has had a stroke – Face, Arms, Speech and Time – the most important thing being to get the person into hospital in the shortest TIME possible. If someone has had a heart attack and stopped breathing it is essential to begin CPR right away. Geraldine demonstrated the correct technique on a mannequin before showing an attentive audience how to use a defibrillator. Having taken many questions along the way she and her team were warmly thanked for an excellent talk by Probian Eamon Cunningham.