Being Prepared For The Worst - Part IV - First Aid Certified!

As I mentioned a few times, C and I were planning on getting first-aid certified by the Red Cross.  We both finished the class and passed the (relatively easy) exam at the end.

We are now certified for 3 years by passing the Red Cross first aid course.

So what does that even mean?  In a 4 hour course, how much could they really have taught us?

Did I learn how to save someone's life if I pulled up next to a horrific car accident?  Maybe (probably) not.

But they did teach you some fundamental skills/tips to not completely panic in the case of an emergency.  And that sense of "I'm not going to completely lose my shit" is a nice feeling to have.

We only did 2 hands on lessons in the class (how to do arm splints and what to do if you find a person passed out face down).  If you don't have time to take a class, you could definitely learn all the material out of a book:

(American Red Cross - First Aid & Safety Handbook)

Of course the beauty of the class is it forces you to learn. It would be hard to motivate myself to read a first-aid book and learn that way.

Here are the 5 most interesting things I learned from the class:

1. Consent - To avoid any legal troubles, ask for consent before you administer first aid to anyone. Good Samaritan Laws will protect you from getting sued if you at act reasonably and ask for consent.  If the person is passed out, there is a concept of implied consent.  (i.e. if a reasonable person was passed out in this position, would they want first aid help)
2. If you start, you better finish - If you decide to stop and help someone, at that point you are committed.  You can't just walk away.  You need to either wait for a professional to get there or the person leaves on their own.  
3. Call 911 if... - The instructor gave a bunch of tips on when you should call 911 even if it doesn't at first look like an emergency.   e.g. ) If someone bangs there head and you see fluid coming out of there ears or nose, they may say they are feeling fine, but they likely have a skull fracture and should see immediate help.  
4. Shock - When someone is in shock it can be life threatening. There body is pumping all it's blood to vital organs to keep you alive.  One of the symptoms can be extreme thirst.  Do NOT give a person in shock anything to drink or eat.  Food/drink does 2 bad things: 1) it makes your body spend energy on your stomach instead of vital organs (heart, brain, etc.) 2) if you need surgery, it's best if you don't have anything in your stomach.
5. Fire dept + Poison control - Put the telephone number of the closest fire department and the direct number to poison control in your cell phones.  Calling both of these directly will be faster than calling 911.  Calling 911 via your cell phone will route you to the California 911 system and there will be a bunch of routing required to get you to the local fire department anyway.

Be safe out there folks.  Learn some first aid and be a bit more prepared to help your loved ones and anyone else who might need a hand.