Standard First Aid & CPR

• The Standard First Aid and CPR course from the Canadian Red Cross is designed for people to be able to respond to emergencies in the home and in the workplace. According to the Canadian Red Cross, Standard First Aid and CPR is mandatory training for employees in the workplace.
  
  Training with the Red Cross requires a 14- to 16-hour commitment with a certified Red Cross First Aid instructor. With 100 percent attendance and a 75 percent passing grade on a written exam as well as demonstrated knowledge of skills learned, a person receives a Standard First Aid, CPR Level C and AED certificate valid for three years.
  
  

Canadian Red Cross Course Content

• According to the Canadian Red Cross, the Standard First Aid course content includes the following:
  Preparing to respond
  The EMS system
  Check, Call, Care
  Airway emergencies
  Breathing and circulation emergencies
  First Aid for respiratory and cardiac arrest
  Head and spine injuries
  Bone, muscle and joint injuries
  Wound care
  Sudden medical emergencies
  Environment emergencies
  
  

Automated External Defibrillation

• Most first aid teaching organizations, including the Canadian Red Cross and Canada's renowned St. John Ambulance, have a specific course for dealing with cardiac arrest. According to St. John Ambulance, chances of survival from cardiac arrest decrease 10 percent every minute without intervention, and according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada, 40,000 Canadians die every year from cardiac arrest.
  
  The Automated External Defibrillation (AED) is designed to be the intervening link between cardiac arrest and emergency services. According to a 2004 study by the New England Journal of Medicine, the proper use of an AED doubles the likelihood of surviving cardiac arrest. First aid teaching services provide courses for the proper use and maintenance of an AED.
  
  

Statistics

• Seventy percent of all cardiac arrests occur in homes and public places, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada.
  
  Defibrillation with CPR can improve cardiac arrest survival by more than 50 percent if done in the first few minutes.
  
  In 2008, there had been a total of 241,571 documented workplace injuries or illnesses in Ontario, according to The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
  
  Injuries are the leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 1 and 44 and the fourth leading cause for Canadians of all ages, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
  
  

Emergency Preparedness Week

• From May 2 to May 8, 2010, is Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week). EP Week is an annual national event that takes place during the first full week of May, according to the Government of Canada website.
  
  The importance of owning an emergency kit and having an emergency plan is emphasized during this week with activities organized across the nation. EP Week events differ depending on the province since there are varying emergency risks in each region. Some risks, like an earthquake or a flood, may happen in some parts of Canada and not others, considering the uniqueness of each Canadian province.
  
  The Canadian Red Cross and other emergency services asks people to be prepared with a 72-hour emergency kit and plan.