When I was a Girl Scout Leader I had to be First Aid and CPR certified. I’ve taken multiple classes over the years and added AED certification as well when I was a massage therapist.
I am not trained, but that is on my ‘hot list’. I have a medical background, so it should be easy to pick up. I got a certificate as an NRA Range Safety Officer recently, and I would like to get my First Aid and CPR certs so I can respond if anything happens on the range. I plan on doing this as soon as I can afford it.
CPR Pro (includes basic first aid, touched on stop the bleed and fully included AED)
Recently my “company” has been hosting Active Shooter seminars which includes Stop The Bleed training.
Under “other” which i forgot to check on the poll:
Temperature regulation (what to do for hypo/hyperthermia)
Anatomy of a Burn (first aid for burns ranging from fire to chemical to radiation)
Next month I’m attending a seminar on Human Trafficking, I’ve been told there’s a medical/first aid portion there too, though I’m not entirely sure what that is.
Personally, I would say that first aid training is as important as your firearm training.
You are more likely to need your first aid training than you will need your firearm training. There are so many times you might need to use first aid/ car accidents, falls, kitchen accidents, heart attacks, cuts, broken bones, choking… and if you have kids that list gets a TON longer
Legally, I have to say “I have had.” As it was a regular part of our Company’s employee training programs, refreshed at least every couple of years. Since I have not done more than refresh and update my knowledge base from YouTube presentations and or courses like the one in the USCCA eLearning set during the past 10 years I’m no longer certified. I’m better prepared for a medical event but would be operating under States’ Good Samaritan Laws/protections; ready to turn over to professionals once they are on scene and ready to take over.
Since I am retired, I had the time to take a 3 month EMT basic course at a local community college. It was an eyeopening and really excellent course and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in doing something like that. It also really helped me put together a good IFAK for my daily carry bag
First Aid, CPR and Wilderness First Aid. Not required to have, but helpful as a Scout Master and helps me pass it on and train with the boys in my Troop to make sure they have their skills squared away and practice regularly.
I’ve used it on a few occasions with a couple of the boys with some minor injuries.
However, 4yrs ago my son slipped and fell in the shower putting a huge gash in the back of his head…mom and sister started freaking out and I literally jumped up from my chair into action. I didn’t even realize that’d I had done all the first aid stuff I had until after the doctor had started pulling my first aid efforts off his head and was putting the staples in his head in the ER (we live 5min from closest hospital so I tossed him in the truck and beat feet there vs waiting for an ambulance).
I wasn’t scared/panicked during…but danged if even today thinking about it doesn’t send chills down my back.
I said other. I was certified in AED and first aid, until my certification expired. A few years back, my wife and I thought about opening a daycare. We both got certified for that purpose. Plans changed, and we didn’t go that route. I never got recertification.
Congratulations, @Randall318! My twins were 3 months premature (not that you can tell now) and before they went home we had to take a first aid course.
I have had to use the infant/child Heimlich on my granddaughter because she loves cheese pretzels but doesn’t chew them enough. It was terrifying, but at least I knew what to do and that helped me keep calm.
She did go right back for the pretzels afterward, but I refuse to give her any more until she’s older and chews her food more.
I spent 24 years in the military and 22 of them as a Corpsmen, the last 10 as an Independent Duty Corpsman (Provider), so I have had more initials behind my name for medical certs than I can even remember. I have had the unfortunate honor to practice my trade overseas to mostly good result. On the range (even in dynamic courses) I have not had to do anything extravagant, mostly twisted pick a joint, lumps, bumps, burns cuts, scrapes, SPLINTERS, BEE STINGS, poison ivy/oak/sumac and the occasional ear plug the got stuffed waaaayyyy down the ear canal.
IMHO and what used to be professional opinion if you can breathe in and breathe out and conduct life as a “normal” person you should have some form of basic first aid training. I wish they made a course entitled Home Medicine in High School, of course I wish they would bring back shop class too. I have mixed emotions about certifications (probably because most of mine were instructor cert’s and all the baggage that goes with them) . It is not hard to educate yourself in First Aid, “Stop the bleed” basic CPR and air way obstruction. One should also learn a few things about basic medications, Aspirin, Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, Insulin, epi-pens, Tec-Nu and Burn Gel are at the top of my list. I guess I should add Narcan for opioid OD nowadays. Information is available and worth more than what Google will cost you.
That is crazy because the doctor is swearing to twins for me and my girl
But thank you! After talking to Leah about this, she does seem to agree with the idea of first-aid (Which getting her to agree is very uncommon)!
So more than likely we will take together now!
I’m only trained in CLS, which is basically drag to safety and apply a tourniquet. So I’m a one trick pony, but I keep tourniquets in the car just in case I meet someone with a headache.
It’s a good question, though. I assume most of us here carry because we want to protect ourselves and others. What better way to prepare than to learn how to save a life?
I was a Combat Lifesaver in a former life, Had training but no real application. Also in another life i have been a personal trainer and a competitive swim coach. We had to through first aid, CPR, AED certs. Knowledge of CPR and AED is a good idea but most (red cross) first aid are very basic
The curriculum changes every couple of years. I remember when they taught everyone how to stick an IV in an arm, but they’re not teaching that anymore. And once upon a time they downplayed tourniquets, but now it’s a primary tool in every IFAK. Unfortunately, they’ve had a lot of data over the past couple of decades on which to base their changes.
