Through my “regular” job I am set up to be a “first responder” to any in house accidents or incidents that occur. In order to fulfill these duties and in order to keep my Captains License up to date I am required to take a First Aid and CPR class once every two years. My company requires the training to be in compliance with the American Heart Association, and therefore certain topics must be addressed and the class is required to run at least 6-hours.
Last week I attended my bi-annual training. I will be the first to admit that in years past I have looked at the class as just another requirement to fulfill; however, this year I had a new outlook. Perhaps it is the fact that I have a newborn son at home and wanted to make sure I could help him should anything ever happen, or perhaps it is because my wife is a RN and I recently witnessed her and another nurse respond to a medical emergency at a resort while I ran and got help and all others just passed by and watched, or perhaps it is the fact that I am getting older, a little more cautious, and my obsessive compulsive personality wants to be prepared for any situation that I encounter.
The instructor, a 20 year EMT veteran with Charleston County, did an excellent job covering the course material. As he covered each topic he provided real life scenarios and helped all of us envision the circumstances we may find ourselves in as “first responders.” Several of the scenarios he covered were related around being in a rural area where there were limited resources around to call on for help. Multiple situations were where we may be providing CPR or First Aid to some one for an extended period of time before help arrived.
As I went through my own scenarios a few scenes kept running through my head, riding four wheelers out in the Francis Marion Forest with a group of friends, camping in the mountains with my wife and another couple, and fishing offshore with a few buddies. These are all activities that I believe most on this site can easily relate to