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First Aid Class
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First Aid Class
Whether it's knowing how to manage a burn from cooking, or how to approach someone with a possible neck injury, a first aid class could save a life. Being prepared for the unexpected can make a huge difference in the outcome of accidents and illnesses. Without the right training, a simple burn can develop into something far worse.
With a wide variety of programs and classes available, there is ample opportunity for you to take a free first aid class and gain that indispensable training. Gaining certification is quicker than you may expect, with various classes offered all through the week in Washington DC, and they are a great foundation for future career development.
First Aid Classes and What is First Aid?
First Aid is how to deliver assistance when faced with a wide range of situations, especially with assisting in a medical crisis before medical professionals arrive. The main aims of the practice are to minimize injury, prevent further escalation, provide pain relief, promote recovery and protect those who have fallen unconscious.
First aid training is hugely common, with every business requiring a minimum of one person on shift to be trained and certified to be OSHA compliant. American Aquatics and Safety Training designs their training programs so organizations can easily become certified. Some jobs may require more advanced medical training such as American Aquatics and Safety Training approved cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and being able to utilize an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). These can be learned alongside your first aid training to maximize your knowledge in the shortest amount of time.
What do First Aid Classes cover?
First aid class near you cover how to approach a wide range of conditions. These can include conditions from things such as asthma attacks, burns, or choking all the way to head and spinal injuries, cardiac arrest, and strokes. The vast array of conditions covered in the class give students the knowledge and hands-on skills to approach most first aid emergencies. A lot of asthma attacks don't have to end in a trip to the ER if you know the steps to de-escalate the situation.
Each condition has its specific training and a set of best practices that you learn to follow. The class also teaches how to assess each situation: a large part of giving medical assistance is being able to recognize symptoms and make smart decisions on what to do next. Learning what is a safe environment to give first aid, how to approach people with care, and where to find supplies, are key aspects of the certification courses.
Also, the typical American Aquatics and Safety Training covers the use of CPR and AED so you can usually become conveniently certified in first aid, CPR and AED in one go. Each first aid class also teaches the differences between using CPR, first aid, and a defibrillator on adults and children. For children and infants, the process differs because their bodies are still forming and are far more delicate. Delivering medical assistance to a child or infant requires different steps and awareness of their fragility. The classroom setting of the course supplies additional confidence with in-person skills sessions.
You can choose your class type based upon your needs, with providers such as the American Aquatics and Safety Training offering specialist training in First Aid/CPR/AED altogether or a more specific class type. There are courses designed around child-care, for swimming instructors, or even babysitting courses. After completing a first aid/CPR/AED training course you can develop your skills further by taking a BLS (basic life support) class and maybe even a further specialized healthcare ALS (advanced life support) course.
Why are Classes important?
Whilst many people think they know what to do in an emergency, without the proper training they could find themselves helpless. Getting your certification means that your knowledge has been tested in hands-on skills sessions and you've actively managed to properly complete first aid/CPR/AED in a simulation exercise. Taking a class can make a huge difference in your confidence and how you approach emergencies in the future. In just a few hours you can learn the skills to help your loved ones, friends, and even strangers. Simply put, having first aid training and knowing CPR to a professional standard can save lives.
The beauty of this training is that it is designed for everyone to learn: the more people who know how to react to a cardiac arrest or a severe burn then the fewer fatalities from such incidents. These individual courses are part of wider national programs to educate the public on the necessity of emergency responders.
Also, when working in areas such as child-care, training and certification is vital. Children can be so unpredictable and completely unaware of the possible dangers out there. No matter how child-proof your environment is you will have to clean up a graze or two. Parents will feel more comfortable knowing that they are leaving their children under the supervision of someone with American Aquatics and Safety Training approved skills.
The first few minutes, which is what the class is really for
Almost everything taught in a first aid class is aimed at the interval between an incident happening and trained help arriving. That interval is usually short, but it is where outcomes are decided: whether a bleed was controlled, whether an airway stayed open, whether someone with a suspected spinal injury was left still rather than helpfully moved. The class exists to make that interval count.
Most of what is taught is deliberately simple, because complicated procedures fall apart under stress. Direct pressure on a wound, keeping a casualty still, putting an unresponsive but breathing person into a recovery position, none of these are difficult, and all of them are frequently done wrong by people who have never practiced them. Practicing once, on a manikin, with someone correcting you, is what makes them available when you need them.
The other thing a class provides is permission to act. A recurring reason bystanders do nothing is uncertainty about whether they are allowed to, or fear of making things worse. Having been assessed and told your technique is sound removes most of that hesitation, and hesitation is more often the problem than technique.
Reviewed by Jackie Stern, Lifeguard Instructor, Firefighter and EMT. Jackie Stern has taught lifeguarding for more than 20 years and works as a firefighter, EMT and swim instructor. She reviews course content, prerequisites and rescue standards against current certification requirements.
About Us
We are a nonprofit that trains and certifies in Lifeguarding, Waterfront Lifeguarding, Junior Lifeguarding, Shallow Pool Lifeguarding, Sexual Harassment Training, CPR/AED, CPR for Lifeguards, First Aid Emergency Oxygen, and swimming lessons.
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