Took the health provider CPR and Defibrillator course recently, and got my card. Taking this simple four hour course teaches how to perform CPR on everyone from infants to adults. I'll be taking the first aid course before the year is out as well.

This is really good stuff to know, especially for people living high risk lifestyles like riding motorcycles, shooting guns or simply driving a car (high risk in my area).

I'm preparing to leave the business I'm in now, and will be taking the Basic EMT course, hopefully in January. Don't know what part of the field I'm going to end up in, just learning and getting certs. for as much as I can right now. I want to take the NRA RSO orientation and course also.

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 11/26/10 at 08:05:17:

I've been thinking about this move for quite a while. Although I have a full time job with a small news service that is very successful, I'm just not happy anymore. After 16 years in the business, my passion for photography is dead. Hey, these things happen. It's not a bad thing. I've experienced so much cool stuff in the time I've been shooting, but it's over. Time to move on to something else.

Regarding the CPR course, I would suggest any rider considering taking one. We never know when it'll come in handy, either while on the road or at home should someone need it. It's only 4 hours. I'd rather use my minutes performing CPR while waiting for the EMT's to get here, rather than just holding the person's hand telling them it'll be OK.

I took the course several years ago but let it laps. My concern was liability. If you happen on an incident, are qualified, and don't give aid, you can be sued. If you do give aid and make a mistake, you can be sued. If you give aid after being told by the person not to, you can be charged with assault. We were advised of the legal issues during the course. I much prefer (cold hearted as it may be) having the choice of whether or not to give aid.

If you ever do get the chance to perform CPR on an actual person, you will be surprised by how different it feels than the dolls in the class.  You will feel the rib cartilage popping and grinding as it lets go of the bones.  There is much more resistance on a big man with a barrell chest too, even more than you would expect.  And be prepared to hear his last breath leave his body when you start chest compressions or reposition him to the floor.

I am a first responder with my volunteer fire department.  I am batting 1.000 - they have all died.  This is due to the fact that we don't get called quick enough.  The victim's best chance is if it is a witnessed arrest and the call and CPR are done immediately.

So more people trained is a good thing; we will all have a better chance then.

I did the course a few years ago,in the class room the instructor was showing how to do mouth to mouth resperation, after the gal got up off the floor after I had supposidly baught her back to life,and she asked the instructor "If it was right to put your toungue in while doing it"  the instructor sent me home sans certificate. he said "Dont ever come back " not very nice was he ?

babyhog wrote on 11/28/10 at 06:06:07:

Thanks BH. Yes, it's all about volunteering, which is a good way to start. Need the 120 hour course to get Basic EMT certification. Tough for me because one of the course days falls on a work day for me.

I really want to drive the ambulance. You know, with the siren and lights Has to be the kid in me

Going to stay with the company I'm with now, but continue forward with hopes of landing in some type of job where I hope I'll be happy. 50 years old and starting anew. I guess I do have one career left in me.

At least you were there for your Dad Boofer. During the course, they let us know that we'll hear a bunch of cracking noise when doing compressions.

Yes, they did mention compressions only, especially is a situation where there may be blood on the mouth. Also, now it's 30 compressions not 15. So, 2 breaths first if we're able, check pulse, 30 compressions and repeat.

My wife was an EMT.  Just be aware that this is a tough job with a high suicide and alcoholism rate, many EMT's burnout after a few years.  You will have toddlers, teens, pregnant women and young men literally die in your hands.  You will crawl into flipped cars in the rain at 3 a.m. full of teenagers and decide who gets out first and lives and who waits and likely dies, and you won't even know how many are there and all you have is a small flashlight.  You will have to ignore the pain of others, if they're screaming they're breathing, move on to the next one, and believe with all your heart and soul you are their best and only hope, if you couldn't save them no one could.