Health & Safety Institute: Adult First Aid

Health & Safety Institute: Adult First Aid | CPR AED

Commitment to Readiness: My First First Aid & CPR Certification

One of my neighbors is a Warren County Fire & Rescue training coordinator. She posted the following in our neighborhood facebook group on January 9, 2023.

Warren County Fire & Rescue is offering CPR on Thursday, January 19th from 5-9pm . The class is an ASHI CPR/AED/First Aid class and includes adult, child and infant CPR, use of an AED and First Aid topics of geared to the interests/needs of the students. Certification is good for 2 years.

Students must be 16 years of age or older to register.

Cost is $15 per person with checks made out to Warren County Fire & Rescue (with CPR on the memo line)

Classes are held at the Public Safety Bldg at 200 Skyline Vista Drive, Front Royal.

Register by calling WCFR @ 540-636-3830

I decided it was time to get serious about emergency preparedness and enrolled. I wasn’t aware of the recent events in the world of sports. The world witnessed the cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin on January 2, 2023. When I had called to schedule training, they were already overbooked with an entire Little League baseball team that had signed up to train together. I was able to get training on January 21, 2023, to accommodate myself and others who accepted the alternative date to accommodate the team.

Inside the Warren County Safety Center

The training took place at the headquarters of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, 911 Dispatch, and Fire & Rescue. Walking into the Safety Center, the atmosphere was professional.

The room was set up with adult manikin torsos equipped with breathing guards and electronic monitors to track our performance. Later, we transitioned to infant manikins that utilized similar external devices to ensure our technique was precise.

Tactical Skills and Real-World Scenarios

What surprised me most was the sheer variety of life-saving tools we practiced with. This wasn’t just about chest compressions; it was a comprehensive look at emergency intervention:

EpiPen Proficiency: We used expired EpiPens to punch through cardboard boxes. This gave us a realistic feel for the pressure needed to deploy the needle and how the medication is actually injected.
Narcan Administration: We learned how to apply Narcan and, perhaps more importantly, what to expect afterward. We were trained to handle the “wake-up” period, where patients may be confused or aggressive as the overdose is reversed.
Bleeding Control: We practiced the mechanical application of tourniquets and the vital step of labeling them with the application time for emergency room staff.

From Training to Toolkits

There is a significant difference between knowing what to do and having the tools to do it. After completing the course and gaining proficiency in these skills, I didn’t want to be caught empty-handed. I immediately ordered medical kits for both my home and my car, ensuring that if an emergency ever arises, I have the gear to match my training.