Simon Carkeek

1.Who are you? Where are you from? How did you get into the profession you are in?

My name is Simon. I'm from New Zealand and I started my company, Pracmed NZ, that focusses on training and equipping every day people and government clients with skills and tools that are meaningful in emergency situations after returning from overseas working as a military contractor and seeing how poor the training and general equipment offerings were in New Zealand.

2. What does safety mean to you?

Safety is a triad, it starts with training, this generally develops awareness and mindset which is the second aspect and the third being equipment that is in line with the skill set competence. These three things compliment each other and assist with continual improvement.

3. From you field and/or experiences, what is something that you would want everyone to know to help them stay safe?

The word accident exists in the dictionary, I believe accidents and incidents are ineveitable part of life so controlling the "controllables" is so very important - keep it simply, keep it functional, keep yourself and your loved ones alive.

4. Why do you think safety and rescue equipment is important?

Knowledge will only get you so far, no matter how good your knowledge base it will always be limited if you aren't carrying purposeful equipment to compliment it.

5. How did you come across the resqme car escape tool? If so, how do you use it in your line of work or daily life?

ResqMe has been something I've been aware of, and carried for a long time so when the opportunity came up to become a reseller and offer it to New Zealanders through e-commerce, in-person training and at expos I jumped at the opportunity. I have tested ResqMe and know how well it works, including it in our lineup was a no-brainer as it strongly aligns with our values.

6. What stories do you know, have experienced, or heard throughout your profession/life that made you learn the importance of safety and being prepared for any emergency?

Personally I have been involved in a number of vehicle accidents and rollovers that resulted in disorientation, severe injury and death. I have worked around the world in deployed settings as a team medic and have seen first hand the difference in outcomes when people are prepared and have done basics well vs when the inverse has occurred. Given my insights, being competent and equipped is non-negotiable for me and my family.

7. How would you like to inspire others to stay safe?

 By sharing not only the events that I have been through as anecdotes but the solutions and lessons learned to ensure those who are listening have the opportunity to learn in a smarter way - via others successes and mistakes.