Somebody call 9-1-1!

Do you know how to deal with summer emergencies?
Jul 19, 2010 | By: Alison Dunn

When you're out having fun in the summer sun, it's easy to forget the health hazards that lurk out there. But this year, instead of forgetting, why not take a first aid refresher course to keep you and your family healthy and safe?

According to St. John Ambulance, a national organization that runs first aid and CPR training courses, the objectives of first aid are simple: to preserve life, prevent an illness or injury from becoming worse, and promote recovery.

“Being trained in first aid is an excellent way to learn to deal with emergencies,” says Rob White, chairman of St. John Council for Ontario. “First aid training is more than just applying bandages or tying slings, it’s about being able to assess a situation and decide upon the safest course of action for the casualty and the rescuer.”

What you'll learn

Wondering what's in it for you? St. John Ambulance says you'll learn important skills for coping with an emergency, including emergency scene management. Emergency scene management lets you evaluate the location where an incident took place, find the cause of the injury and check for hazards that could potentially cause harm to both you and any casualties.

First aid training also provides people with a walkthrough of what to do to assist a casualty, and how that changes whether the person is conscious or not. The skills you'll develop are ones that can be applied to any emergency, from an injury on the job to a neighbourhood blackout. And according to the organization, learning to take charge and stay calm can help you get through anything.

Beyond the bandage

A good first aid course won't just help you cope with cuts and scrapes, either. It will give you detailed instructions on how to deal with a number of different emergency situations. St. John Ambulance, for example, offers both emergency level first aid certification and standard first aid certification. Both courses teach the following:

• Emergency scene management
• Shock, unconsciousness and fainting
• Choking (adult)
• Cardiovascular emergencies and one-rescuer CPR (adult casualty)
• Severe bleeding

In addition, St. John Ambulance offers 18 different kinds of elective lessons. Depending on your personal family situation, you can choose to learn any one of the following:

• How to deal with medical conditions (i.e. diabetes, convulsions, asthma, allergies)
• Child resuscitation
• Infant resuscitation
• Two-rescuer CPR
• Automated external defibrillation
• Bone and joint injuries
• Head/spinal and pelvic injuries
• Chest injuries
• Wound care
• Multiple casualty management
• Rescue carries
• Eye injuries
• Burns
• Poisons, bites and stings
• Heat and cold illness and injuries
• Emergency childbirth and miscarriage
• Artificial respiration