–the 13th win since competing
THE Felix Austin Police College ‘A’ team has won the Guyana Police Force (GPF)  2011 First Aid Competition for the Smellie Cup on Friday at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) Square, Eve Leary, Georgetown. The team was awarded $100,000 in cash and a replica of the Smellie Cup, while each member of the team was awarded a trophy. They had vied with three other teams for supremacy in the first aid competition, defeating 2010 winners, the General Office.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) placed second, and received $75,000 in cash; while Immigration was awarded third place, and got $50,000, in cash; and General Office, the defeated team, secured fourth place and was given $25,000 in cash.
Constable 21589 Grant, named the Best First Aider, was presented with $50,000 in cash after he displayed intelligence and talent, despite a heavy downpour.
The teams that competed for the Smellie Cup were: CID Headquarters; Immigration ‘A’; General Office; and Felix Austin Police College ‘A’. The judges were police surgeon, Dr. Chand; Drs. A. Watson and S. Legall of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC); and D. Lewis of the Guyana Red Cross.
The itinerary of the programme was as follows: introductory remarks by retired Assistant Commissioner Clinton Conway, the GPF Training Officer; a musical interlude by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Band; the four competing teams demonstrating an accident scene, and their response by applying First Aid to the injured; another musical interlude; and presentation of the prizes, incentives and closing remarks by acting Police Commissioner, Leroy Brummel.
Commissioner Brummel said the Smellie Cup first-aid competition will continue annually; and he extended congratulations to all the teams, complimented all the participants, and urged them to work harder and consult with their commanders for continuous first-aid training. He also disclosed that the Felix Austin Police College has won the competition 13 times.
Commissioner (ag) Brummel urged ranks to preserve crime scenes, and use their knowledge of first-aid to render assistance to the injured at such scenes in all divisions, since the police are often the first to be on crime scenes.

Smellie Cup
The Guyana Police Force is a division of the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade, which was established since 1931. Apart from its core functions, the GPF assists the citizenry throughout the country in rendering first-aid to the sick. The current Commissioner of the Order of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade is Major Patrick Smith. As a means of promoting enthusiasm among members of the GPF, Captain C.H. Smellie donated a Cup in 1950 for annual competition among teams drawn from various sections of the GPF. At that time, Captain Smellie was a member of the Brigade Council, and served as Organising Secretary of the British Guiana Red Cross Fund (1940-42).
Over the years, the Force has produced a number of serving Brothers of the Order.
First Aid was introduced in the GPF in 1927, and, in 1931, the GPF became a member of the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade. Colonel W.A. Orrett, C.B.E., K.P.H., the then Commissioner of Police, was the first Commander of the Order of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Others who occupied that lofty position included the late Reverend James A. Phoenix, F.A.D; Clare H. Mayers; E.A. Anthony; former Police Commissioner Mr. A.A. Barker, D.S.S.; and Mr. F. McDonald, DSM.

Winners
The Smellie Cup has been won by the Felix Austin Police College on 13 occasions; TSU five; Quartermaster’s Stores three; Force Control and Welfare Office Combined one; Special Constabulary four; ‘B’ Division nine; and the previous holders, Immigration and Passport, three; having won the competition in 2009.
This year’s competition attracted 15 teams, but after elimination, the best four vied for the top spot.
The Smellie Cup first-aid competition aims to develop first-aid capability among members of the GPF in cases of emergency.