First aid within the classroom
Throughout my years of first aid and lifeguarding training I got the opportunity to learn basic first aid. After I started my training I was surprised as to just how much I didn’t know. I learned about strokes, angina attacks and dry drowning; but all of these topics were new. I believe simple first aid should be common knowledge, to not only stay informed, but to save lives.
Standard First Aid is offered as a course by St. John Ambulance, Valley First Aid Training and some community centers, but often range from $130 - $200. The cost is too high for someone who wants to take the course casually, and most are still hesitant about taking it as a mandatory prerequisite. The price keeps people away, and the fact that the course must be retaken every few years for recertification. First aid certification should be more accessible to both students and adults, and I believe it starts in the education system.
For a start first aid courses could be offered within the school either after school hours or during class time run by certified instructor representing one the first aid providers such as St. John Ambulance or Valley First Aid Training. This way, while the course is still the same it is offered in a more accessible space where students and staff wont have to commute or sacrifice after school hours for training.
The same could be done by offering a lower price for these in-school courses by fundraising, advocating for funds to the school division or turning towards PAC for funds. This way the course is not only offered within the school, but for a lower price which students will be able to more comfortably afford.
If the concern is knowledge rather than certification, the material could be distributed within the classroom by having first aid certified staff and students teaching basic first aid in the classroom. Knowledge could be both hands on and taught visually through presentations and information first aid information available on reliable websites like Red Cross and St. John Ambulance.
Students may not be certified but they will have the skills and knowledge to help someone in distress, or even calling an ambulance. Teaching students not only the procedures themselves, but the ability to stay calm in a stressful situation through the reassurance of knowledge and protocol. Certified students and staff will be able to identify and assist those in distress both in the community and within the classroom, spreading awareness and becoming better equipped in a first aid situation involving the community and themselves.
Simple first aid applies to daily life, and by spreading the knowledge needed to deal with emergencies even if it is something like calling the ambulance can save lives. To be aware and to be ready is important, lets make first aid knowledge common knowledge.
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