CPR & First Aid - What a Riot!

Ok, so maybe that's not the first that comes to mind when you take CPR/First Aid - but I gotta say our trainer was a keeper. James walked in a little flustered and stand offish yesterday when he arrived almost 15 minutes late due to a mix up at the office, but quickly turned it around with dry humour and hilarious analogies and stories. Like the fact that his favorite types of casualties are the unconscious ones, they don't argue, fight back or deny treatment. I mean sure its easier to figure out what's wrong if they can speak, but hey - if they they're resisting you because they're choking, bleeding or screaming in panic and rapidly progressing towards shock its a lot easier to treat them once they hit the ground. If they won't give consent for treatment - you can't treat em, but once they're unconscious - they're fair game!!

I especially like his story of his sister (who is a paramedic in rural Manitoba) got to a call at remote location - stab wound in the stomach, foreign object still imbedded (best place for them till you get to the hospital by the way), perp took off and the girl friend called 911. Later, when the ER Dr. made his report, he noted two stab wounds. The officers said not so - the girlfriend said one stab and the assailant took off. Police investigated a little further and found that when the girlfriend called 911 the operator had told her very specifically - don't remove the knife - apparently she'd already done that - SO SHE PUT IT BACK - didn't quite get it into the same spot.

Aside from all that I learnt so much. It was a great course, I highly recommend EVERYONE get it. There was so much I didn't know about and just 8 hours gives you so much information. May never use it, but if I need it - I got it.

Did you know that if you get to the scene of an accident or person in distress you can evaluate the situation and make a decision whether or not to help - BUT once you've begun helping - you are committed. Till someone else takes over, or its called abandonment.