Your knowledge of first aid can be a lifesaver for your team. A little over a year ago, James, a 41 year-old husband and father of two young children, was working on a film project on campus at the University of Oregon, when he had a sudden heart attack. There were no warning signs – James did not have chest pain or any of the other signals that a heart attack was about to strike – his heart simply stopped beating and he collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, James was working with a team of other filmmakers, one of whom knew CPR and began to administer it immediately. James’s co-worker continued to administer CPR until the paramedics arrived with an ambulance to take James to the hospital. The paramedics were able to resuscitate James in the ambulance, but it was a close call. James began a long road to recovery – he had heart surgery to install a pace-maker, then went through several months of rehabilitation. Today James is healthy and active once more, all thanks to the first aid training of his co-worker.

The first aid training James’s co-worker learned saved James’s life. Even though James collapsed less than a mile from the nearest hospital, he would have died without his co-worker’s quick response. If James had been at home alone with his son, or driving in his car, or anywhere other than in the company of someone with a knowledge of CPR and first aid, James would have died. He would have left his then-pregnant wife a widow, he would have left his son fatherless, and he would have never been able to meet his baby daughter.

If one of your team members had a heart attack or another serious health emergency, would you know how to respond? First Aid Ed provides hand-on techniques tailored for adult learners – students will develop skills for performing CPR and first aid successfully in any emergency situation. Sign up for a class today – you may just be in a position to save a co-worker’s life!