3 Reasons Why First Aid Certification Is So Vital For First Responders

First aid is the procedure for providing immediate assistance in case of injuries or illnesses to stabilize the person till a more advanced medical help takes over treatment or until the person reaches a hospital. The versatility and range of this initial procedure is such that it can address certain minor issues entirely and can even prevent fatality in a life threatening situation.

During an emergency the first responders on the scene provide the required first aid. At times they can be members of the public who happen to be nearby and have had some prior training in first aid, however in a majority of cases professionals like paramedics and even firefighters and the police arrive first and have to administer suitable first aid.

The nature of the job of first responders is such that completing a first aid certification course is a must; the following points will bring out the importance.

• Increased Threats: The environment you live in today is changing rapidly where constant advances in the society and economy have a huge impact on your lives. While such development has its advantages, the increase in population, number of vehicles, increased traffic, reliance on machinery and electronic gadgets, more high-rises, and changed lifestyle have all lead to an increase in the number of accidents and also cause a significantly higher number of health problems. In current times the first responder has to tackle many more cases and that too of diverse types. A first aid course will ensure that such a professional learns about all the different possibilities and the ways to handle them.

• Stress Management: The job of a first responder is extremely stressful. These professionals arrive on the scene when the person's condition is the most precarious and to add to that they do not have the support of any kind of prior knowledge or test reports unlike the hospital staff, and have to ascertain the situation and proceed to administer treatment as quickly as possible. Moreover there is often a group of bystanders at such places who might make the movement difficult. More often than not first responders will find themselves in chaotic and rather unfavorable circumstances and thus come under a lot of stress. First aid training teaches such professionals how to manage stress and still provide the most effective treatment to the victim.

• Safety: A scene of an accident often poses several safety issues like fire, falling debris, live wires, oncoming traffic, poisonous gases and rapidly flowing water. Besides effective management of the victim a first aid course will teach you to look for any potential dangers nearby before approaching the site because the safety of first responders is as important as that of the victim.

Getting a first aid certification is required if you want a job as a first responder like a paramedic, but in addition such training is advantageous as it will give you the competence to address any unknown threats and in better management of the victim, onlookers and even your own self