Become a Red Cross Certified First Aid and CPR Instructor

Red Cross Instructor Course

There’s a question frequently asked by people who’d taken CPR classes online or attended one of our Red Cross CPR courses. What’s the next step? How can you become a Red Cross first aid instructor to even better help people in need?

Well, first there are different types of Red Cross instructors, divided by specialisation and level of training, and while you might wish to qualify for all of them, the courses should be taken one at a time.

Once you know exactly what you want to learn, there’s also a list of prerequisites you need to have in order to qualify for the course. In order to instruct a Red Cross CPR course or teach First Aid, you need to:

  • Have a valid Red Cross Standard First Aid CPR HCP/AED certificate.
  • Be at least 18 years of age, or
  • Hold a valid instructor certificate from a recognised provider (optional)

The last one is not necessary, but if you have the certificate, it can speed you up in the process by possibly qualifying you for an instructor transfer course.

Let’s however examine the scenario when you have no training or certification.

This is when you need to go and get your Red Cross Standard First Aid and CPR HCP/AED certificate. Then you qualify for the next step, and can now take the 32 hour Red Cross instructors’ course. Fill out a form here to get on board, and we’ll offer you a choice of dates and CPR course locations to choose for your convenience. We can also provide any additional information you require to get the training and certification.

Coincidentally, if you are currently a certified Red Cross instructor and wish to find employment and lead first aid training in Brampton or in one of our many centers, contact us and we’ll be happy for you to join our family.

Finally, if you hold a certification for first aid and/or CPR instruction from another organisation and wish to get it validated to qualify as a Red Cross instructor, we can help you with that as well.

Contact us today and see what the process is. It only requires a brief refresher and a quick exam instead of the full training a certification from scratch would entail.

Any questions we haven’t answered? Don’t hesitate to call, comment or email us. We’ll gladly answer all of them.

Register for First Aid and CPR/AED Instructor Course

Register today for a First Aid and CPR/AED Instructor Course and train to become a Certified Red Cross Instructor. Check out our facilities and book your spot now.

Register Now

Getting Red Cross Instructor Certification

Benefits of becoming a Red Cross Certified First Aid and CPR Instructor

Discover the invaluable skills and opportunities available through Red Cross certification as a First Aid and CPR instructor. Teaching these critical techniques not only equips individuals with life-saving abilities but also enhances personal knowledge, fosters community resilience, and opens doors to fulfilling career paths. Dive into the world of emergency preparedness and make a tangible difference in your community.
  1. Ability to Educate and Empower: You can teach life-saving skills to others, empowering them to respond effectively in emergencies and potentially save lives.
  2. Enhanced Personal Knowledge: Deepen your understanding of first aid and CPR principles through teaching, reinforcing your own skills and confidence.
  3. Professional Development: Certification enhances your resume and demonstrates your commitment to safety and emergency preparedness.
  4. Community Impact: Contribute positively to your community by equipping individuals and workplaces with essential life-saving skills.
  5. Leadership Opportunities: Gain experience in leadership and instructional roles, fostering communication and teaching abilities.
  6. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest techniques and protocols in first aid and CPR through ongoing training and instructor updates.
  7. Job Opportunities: Increase your employability in fields such as healthcare, education, fitness, and safety training.
  8. Personal Fulfillment: Experience the satisfaction of knowing you’ve equipped others with skills that can make a significant difference in emergency situations.

CPR Training: Be prepared to Respond in a Cardiac Emergency!

There’s a saying – home is where the heart is.

It is sadly ironic, because it’s also very true with respect to the statistic covering cardiac arrest and heart attack cases.

Most of them occur at home.

The reason it’s sad is because you are less likely to die of cardiac arrest  else. In a mall, airport or on the street there’s a better chance that someone can save your life by administering CPR.

When your family member is having a seizure or cardiac arrest, you can call 911 almost immediately, but that may not be good enough. Once this type of medical disaster strikes – minutes and even seconds are crucial to the outcome. Does the victim live or die, and if they live, will he or she recover fully or partially? Those fleeting moments of oxygen loss may result in brain injury and loss of speech, motoric functions, and more.

The only thing that can guarantee the damage is truly minimized is to have someone at home who knows CPR and First Aid procedures. If your loved one is having a cardiac arrest, it is imperative to act fast.

How does CPR work?

The procedure is simple, almost primitive, which is another reason why absolutely everyone should know it.

Once you called for help – always the first step in such situations – you need to begin cardiovascular resuscitation.

It is performed by simply pressing on the victim’s chest in a series of consecutive motions. One hand is positioned on their chest, the other hand rests on top of the first. You firmly press down to push the chest inward, leaning on the victim to add your weight to the push if necessary. Once the chest returns back up, push it back again. The ideal rhythm should be about a hundred such pushes a minute.

There is usually no acute need to give breath. Just pushing until the ambulance arrives raises the chances of survival significantly by pumping blood into the victim’s brain, keeping him or her alive.

The classes in our CPR training Toronto facility and other locations also give information about checking the breathing tract for obstructions, keeping an eye on the pulse, as well as other best practices, but it’s the pushing that does most of the work.

Don’t push your luck, when it comes to CPR and First Aid training.

We have First Aid training centers in Toronto and the GTA. We teach CPR in North York and other locations. Pick one and enroll to save someone’s life in an emergency.

Register for CPR or First Aid Training

Register today for a CPR or First Aid training course at one of our locations across Ontario! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.
Register Now

Do you Know How to Deal With Shock?

Shock occurs when a person’s organs and tissue do not receive enough blood. The lack of blood denies the organs of oxygen, and they begin to shut down. If not treated, shock can lead to death. Our First Aid and CPR/AED courses, taught at our Brampton facility, will explain in detail how to treat a person experiencing shock. If you think a person is suffering from shock, you should call your local Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Causes

The most common reasons for shock are infections, excessive blood loss, emotions from the effect of an event, large burns, a weak heart, and too much fluid loss because of diarrhea and vomiting (usually in children).

Signs to look out for

When taking our Standard First Aid and CPR course, you will be practicing scenarios with people experiencing shock. Signs to look out for are nausea and vomiting, extreme thirst, drowsiness or loss of consciousness, anxiety, weakness, paler than normal skin, fast breathing, cool and moist skin, and confusion.

What can you do?

While waiting for EMS to arrive, you should have the person relax and tend to the reason of the shock. Make sure the person stays warm and make sure they are breathing. Shock can be a traumatic experience so remember to reassure and comfort the person. By taking a First Aid and CPR/AED course you will learn how to properly take care of an injured individual.

Register for CPR or First Aid Training

Register today for a CPR or First Aid training course at one of our locations across Ontario! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.
Register Now

CPR Recertification – An Overview

This blog is here to guide you through the process of getting your CPR recertification, as well as alleviate any doubts as to why you might need it.

To lay the groundwork for this, here are a few reasons why anyone already certified should still get re-certified every three years, or more frequently if you are a medical practitioner.

  1. Skill Retention Concerns

Once you’d gone through your initial training, you received all the knowledge and skill necessary to perform this lifesaving technique on another person. As the years go by, however, can you be absolutely sure that all the knowledge and skills you attained during that first course are still with you? Moreover, are you willing to find it out in a life-threatening situation? Just as is the case with any acquired skill, a lack of practice dulls the reflexes and erodes memory. Refreshing it is as vital as learning it in the first place.

  1. New Practices and Rules

The medical field, just as everything else in our lives, does not stand still. Better, more efficient and innovative methods are developed rapidly. The CPR and first aid courses you took three years ago taught the best practices known at the time. Learning newer methods now will increase your efficiency at dealing with the emergency.

  1. Laws and Liabilities

This may be a source of some frustration, but the fact is that the law treats a person who knows CPR yet doesn’t have a valid certificate, as if they weren’t trained at all. There is much damage that can result in someone applying CPR when they are untrained, and this is a precaution set in place to prevent it. Of course, if there is no other choice, an untrained (or not recertified) individual may decide to step in and assist, but the legal implications may be bad.

How to get CPR Recertified?

The good news is that recertification is even faster than initial first aid courses or first time cpr courses you took. The process of CPR recertification is pretty simple – you get to take a quick online refresher course for the knowledge set needed to perform CPR, and then proceed to a quick skill test in one of our many CPR training facilities conveniently located all around the Greater Toronto Area.

And finally, don’t look at this as an obstacle, but an opportunity.

An opportunity to enhance your skills, learn new ones and ultimately be better equipped to help save someone’s life.

Knowing What to do When Disaster Strikes in 2017

Disaster never calls ahead of time before it comes knocking.

It will crash your party in the middle of the night, or catch up with you on the road. It can sneak up on you, out or indoors. It loves catching people in swimming pools and lakes.

And sometimes large scale tragedies occur, such as the all to recent fire that raged across Port MacMurray, or the huge blackout we had two winters ago all over Toronto and the GTA.

The only thing we can do is prepare and keep a cool head when it happens.

But what does it mean to be prepared, apart from taking a Red Cross CPR course?

If you really want to be ready for an emergency, just follow this short list of New Year Resolutions for 2017.

Prep a First Aid and Emergency Gear Kit

Get a first aid kit for emergencies only (separate from the every day one) and keep it fully stocked at all times. Put it in a small pack with a list of additional important survival items.

Those include a three day supply of water and non-perishable food, a flashlight plus spare batteries and/or solar charger, multi tool, copies of all important cards and documents (proof of address, traveling documents, insurance policies, birth certificates, etc.), extra cash, and a spare cellphone, fully charged.

Set up an Emergency Plan

Discuss evacuation / emergency response scenarios with your family. Plan what to do when separated, set up places to meet, people to contact. Make sure at least a few household members had first aid and CPR training.

Make sure every household member knows where the emergency kit is stored so anyone can access it at need. If you have an evacuation route, plan a few alternatives in case the road gets blocked.

Stay on Top of Things

If you travel to areas of increased risk, do extra research on the dangers. If you are located near disaster zones (flooding, fires, blackouts), keep an eye on the news at all times, especially in the seasons when it is likely to occur.

And finally, get as many family members as possible through First Aid and CPR training. It doesn’t have to be a full fledged disaster for a loved one to be in danger. Saving lives is an ability everyone should have.

Contact one of our centers for first aid and CPR training today and get certified.

4 Reasons You Need First Aid and CPR Training

Sudden cardiac arrest has been determined as the leading cause of death in North America.

This is made worse by the fact that many cases of cardiac arrest did not have to result in death, if they were treated immediately. Most cases occur not in hospitals but in settings where qualified medical help cannot get in time.

They happen at work, on the beach, during trips, and in other absolutely benign circumstances.

This in itself is reason enough to get CPR and First Aid training, but here are 4 more reasons that should convince anyone to take this course.

CPR is Easy to Learn

Thousands of people a year get trained and certified to save the lives of their friends and loved ones during a cardiac arrest or another emergency. The mechanic of cardiac arrest is very simple. It occurs when the electrical rhythm that keeps the heart beating is disrupted, causing it to stop. The person loses consciousness, stops breathing and collapses. The time that passes from then to when they get CPR first aid is crucial to their survival. The steps of administering CPR can be performed by virtually anyone who knows what they are doing, which is to say they got CPR training.

CPR is Not Known by Enough People

The chances that a bystander happens to know this lifesaving technique are still very low, despite all our efforts. Every person of conscience should take the small effort of learning it, in case someone else needs it. The more people know how to administer it, the better chances are for someone else to be able to save your own life, if it happens to you.

CPR Doesn’t Require Mouth to Mouth Resuscitation

Mouth to mouth resuscitation is what deters most people from learning it, but it is not necessary in most situations. You can lay your concerns aside. The guidelines for CPR have changed over 5 years ago, and you can still save a life by administering hands-only CPR, which is usually just as effective.

Most Cardiac Arrests Occur at Home

Unlike a busy street, where the chances of there being someone who knows CPR are still slim, at home those chances are lower still. Break this statistic by enrolling in our CPR training in Brampton or anywhere else in the GTA to make sure that every adult in the household can save the other’s life when the need arises.

We have many locations to choose from in Toronto and the GTA where you can easily learn first aid CPR and other life saving techniques.

Join one now. It’s easy to learn and the benefits are priceless.

We’re here for you, to be there for others.

Register for CPR or First Aid Training

Register today for a CPR or First Aid training course at one of our locations across Ontario! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.
Register Now

Red Cross Helps Businesses & Schools Prepare For Emergencies

From forest fires to large scale power outages that leave entire neighborhoods without heat or water for days, there are things that you just cannot prepare for enough.

The result of such disasters is that people’s lives and livelihoods are disrupted even when not in immediate danger. Businesses and schools close down, hospitals switch to emergency power, people have to leave their homes. Families get separated.

The American Red Cross decided to weigh in and had established an online Ready Rating program that helps public organizations, non-profits and private businesses to assess their disaster readiness levels and pick up the slack where necessary.

The first step of this program is a fully confidential assessment of the current emergency readiness level. The result of this assessment is a set of customized recommendations and tips for increased preparedness. This feedback is provided immediately with additional resources for information, training centers and emergency supplies access.

The program is absolutely invaluable, as it offers a toolkit to evaluate and improve disaster preparedness, doing it absolutely free of charge.

The Ready Rating Program is a multi-tier toolbox containing several free services you can make use of as a business, school or non-profit organization.

Emergency Response Plan Tool. This tool allows you to create your own customized plan for disaster relief and getting all employees on board with a Red Cross CPR course and other important training.

Next Steps Report Tool. This one creates a list of actions to increase disaster prep levels in your organization or company.

Resource and Information Center. Get full access to exercises, courses and activities to develop and prepare your students and staff for a possible emergency.

Ready Rating Store. Purchase all necessary supplies you are missing right there.

Being prepared means having everything set up for quick and efficient action in case of emergency and/or evac. This includes personal Red Cross CPR course training, emergency tools / supplies, and contingency planning.

You need to know your evacuation routes, fire escapes, emergency phone numbers and everything else that may be necessary in case of floods, fires, power outages and the like.

So there you have it, all you need to know in one convenient resource.

If you got your supplies and plans, and all you need is a place for Red Cross First Aid and CPR training, check out our facilities in your area.

We are here for you, so you can be there for others.

Register for CPR or First Aid Training

Register today for a CPR or First Aid training course at one of our locations across Ontario! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.
Register Now

What To Do To Keep Your Child Safe Around Water

Water safety is crucial whenever you take your kids to the pool, or lake, or water park.

 

The big problem with it is that it’s hard to teach children water safety. Scare tactics and other unproductive methods of teaching to kids do more harm than good, however, so there has to be another way. What do you do, then, to make sure your family enjoys itself on the waterside trip and doesn’t get itself into unnecessary risk?

 

There is no one solution, but a set of solutions to this, which achieves great results if you are doing it right.

 

So how do you prepare your kids for water safety?

 

There are several things you can do.

 

Swimming Lessons

 

Don’t wait till they learn it on their own, take them to a swimming lesson. This is not hard, and the basics can be learned within some 10 lessons and practiced to perfection in the pool without an instructor.

 

Do your Homework

 

Make sure you learn as much as possible about water safety and water emergency yourself. Take a red cross CPR course focusing on water safety to make sure you are really on top of things. When you instruct the child, the information should be conveyed in an age-appropriate manner, reinforcing key messages regularly to make sure the information is internalized.

Back the information with sound reasoning. After all, everyone is more motivated to follow a rule if they understand the rationale behind it.

 

Avoid Scare Tactics

 

As we mentioned above, getting kids to be scared of water is not conducive to increased safety. Quite the contrary. There’s a fine line between awareness and anxiety, with the latter leading to being less aware, increasing the danger. The right way is to teach the child to reach aware, confident and intelligent decisions.

 

Lead by Personal Example

 

Children are naturally observant, and tend to put more stock on what they see rather than what they hear. If you want your child to wear a life vest on a boat, be absolutely sure to wear one yourself at all times.

 

Back Preparation by Supervision

 

No matter how responsible and mature your child is, adult supervision is be necessary whenever children play in water. Be close to the child and fully tuned to his activity when he’s in the water.

And of course, if you take the time to take a Red Cross CPR course to supplement your knowledge in water safety, it will increase the safety of your family considerably.

 

 [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]

What To Consider When Choosing a First Aid Training Provider

If you understand the importance and necessity of acquiring adequate knowledge in CPR and First Aid, you must also realize that First Aid CPR training also requires highly qualified instructors and facilities to convey the necessary knowledge and habits.

Skill and knowledge become habit when practiced repeatedly and correctly, and habit is exactly what you need in an emergency – a reflex that takes over and leads you to respond with quick and precise action to save someone’s life.

Good First Aid CPR training differs from inadequate training in that it is perfected to achieve results in the minimum amount of time – making sure you understand how it works and that you’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself without panicking, freezing or making dangerous mistakes.

But how do you choose a good first aid training in Brampton?

There are several considerations you should focus on when making this decision.

Training Personnel Qualifications

 

This is easy to check online even before you contact or meet anyone. Examine the instructor’s credentials. He or she should have a valid First Aid certificate and all additional papers such as Pediatric First Aid (if they are teaching First Aid for kids) and other necessary papers. In addition to being a trained in First Aid, the instructor should have a teaching qualification. They have to hold a Level 3 Education and Training qualification at the very least. If the school has multiple instructors, ask who you should expect to be teaching you or your group, and review their specific credentials.

Actual First Aid Experience

 

A good First Aid training instructor should have actual field experience before going back into the classroom to teach others. Part of the preparation is dealing with stress, and an instructor who ever only did First Aid in a secure simulated environment can’t possibly know the first thing about this crucial aspect of the job. That’s why we only hire Red Cross instructors with years of experience for our First Aid Training Brampton and other centers in the GTA and Southern Ontario.

Course Content and Quality Assurance

 

There are standards set by the Red Cross to which any and every First Aid training class must adhere. Make sure the centre you choose follows them. This should additionally include processes the training provider has in place to monitor and review the training delivered by its instructors, including refresher courses and other supplementary checks to keep the training level high.

Our center for first aid training in Brampton offers all this and more.

Come see for yourself and train with the best!

Register for First Aid Training

Register today for a First Aid Training course and learn how to deal with emergencies and keep your loved ones safe! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.

Register Now

Reach Out to Help those in Need This Holiday Season

This article is for those readers who wish to partake in the spirit of Christmas in its fullest, most complete sense. In addition to the festive dinner, greeting cards and presents, there is also one other aspect to keep in mind. Canadian winter.

There are many people in Canada who need real help from others just to stay alive.

In addition to Red Cross First Aid and CPR training, this amazing organization also provides humanitarian aid to those who’d had to live through small or large scale disasters, in Canada and worldwide. They collect donations and fund much needed evacuation and relief efforts.

In addition to large scale disasters such as floods and fires, the Canadian Red Cross also helps victims of what’s known as silent disasters.

Minor but Very Personal and Very Real

This term describes “minor” tragedies that happen all over Canada on an almost daily basis. They are called silent because they are so ubiquitous and personal that almost no one except from close relations ever gets to hear about them.

When a single family is hit by a house fire, flood or a collapsed roof, it won’t make the papers, but it’s a tragedy nevertheless. The Canadian Cross is there for those people, offering shelter, food, and clothing.

There are other programs, such as Meals on Wheels that make sure people get fed who might otherwise remain hungry through the holidays. The nonprofit also donates and lends medical equipment to those who cannot buy it themselves.

There are other ways to help people in addition to taking a Red Cross CPR course. This year, the Holiday Campaign is strongly focused on assisting people with everyday necessities they lack for one reason or another.

Some families can’t afford the essential things in life due to illness-related loss of employment or a death in the family. Elderly people suffering from neglect should not starve or endure hard winter cold. A mother with a baby on her hands needs help too.

Where There is a Will, There Is a Way

You can also assist those in need this winter by making a personal gift of old clothing, a hot meal or other things the Red Cross collects and distributes to those who need it most.

This is a way to make a real difference in a real person’s life.

There are many more ways to be there for others even before you need the knowledge you learned in a Red Cross CPR course.

And it is far better if it doesn’t get there at all.