First Aid Training

First aid training is a very important skill that should be taught to everyone. With the many educational resources available today, there is no reason anyone should not be able to care for an accident victim. The American Red Cross offers continual lifesaving first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training. Local health departments and hospitals offer such courses, some for free and some who charge a fee either for the course itself or to cover the cost of the certification testing.

First aid training usually comes in two major areas. First there is the basic lifesaving first aid training and the second set of instructions that deal primarily with CPR. There are many companies that teach first aid and CPR training to management level employees for use in the workplace.

If there is not a convenient location in your area for basic first aid training, then one would do well to investigate the many computer based training courses that are available online. You may purchase a cdrom about first aid and CPR training which, through a series of instruction and clipart pictures, will give you a basic understanding of safety and first aid training. Other online resources include web sites like emergencyuniversity.com which offer a full series of First Aid and CPR training courses.

Emergency University has the distinction of being the United States Government's approved training school for their federal employees nationwide and for the Federal Occupational Health Agency. With their training you will be able to recognize and respond to emergencies safely. They teach the proper type of emergencies where 911 is needed, how to assess and support victims till professional help arrives. You will learn how to handle such diverse emergencies as heart attacks, strokes, seizures, asthma, allergic reactions and poisoning. The CPR training includes rescue breathing techniques, compressions and the proper performance of the Heimlich Maneuver. All their training is taught using the American Health Association's ECC recommendation guidelines.

While online training courses such as this will give you a firm base to work from in your lifesaving endeavors, there is still the extra edge that hands on experience offers. Even with computer based training, it is a safe precaution to take your knowledge to one of the Red Cross or local health centers for a re-certification and training. Descriptions and clipart pictures are still no match for actually working the practice dummy to make sure you are holding the head right, getting the air passage cleared and just how hard to push on a chest to get a heart going again without crushing a rib.