First Aid and CPR certification is a safety requirement for chainsaw certification.  The level required is standard Community First Aid and Adult CPR as provided by the American Red Cross.  Adult CPR is also offered by the American Heart Association.

Thanks to the cardio aspect of our chosen pastime – hiking! – we get a good workout for our hearts.  We should still consider the following information from the American Red Cross:

• Seventy-five percent of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the home.
• About 1.25 million people experience a heart attack in the U.S. each year; 500,000 of these attacks result in death.
• About 250,000 deaths occur within the first hour of the onset of symptoms.
• More than 160,000 deaths occur before the age of 65.
• An emergency with an infant or child (aged 0-8) is more likely to involve a breathing problem.

People trained in Community First Aid and CPR save numerous lives every year.  This is not just about training for chainsaw certification, it’s about everyday life.  Things happen on the trail, in the home, and around our communities.  Each of us can make a difference if properly trained.  Although first aid and CPR is not required for our Activity Leaders, it is certainly recommended that everyone have this training.

Scheduling a course would make a great chapter activity, or getting individual chapter members to attend.  With enough participants, a chapter could probably schedule their own personal class with the American Red Cross.  I know I would feel safer if more people had this training.

Community First Aid and Safety (9 1/2 hours)
One of our most popular courses, it is great for community needs. This course combines lectures, demonstrations and video with hands-on training and practice. Participants in this course learn to recognize and respond to emergencies including shock, cardiac and breathing emergencies for adults, children and infants, heat and cold emergencies, sudden illnesses and poisonings. Additionally, participants will learn first aid for everything from cuts and scrapes to muscle, bone and joint injuries.

Adult CPR (3 3/4 hours)
For the person who only needs adult CPR training, this hands-on skills training prepares them to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies in victims aged 8 and above. Adult CPR/AED is available in a 4-1/2 hour course with AED training included.

The websites for the American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/) and the American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200000) have more information available, including local chapter locators.   

Dave Rohe, Wilderness First Responder