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.
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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

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.

Group Or Private Trainings

Did you know? Businesses, organizations, and groups are qualified for certain discounts for our Canadian Red Cross, WSIB approved First Aid and CPR programs. The minimum number of employees your need to qualify for this is as low as 4 individuals. We have several packages available to cater to your group needs, simply fill out a Group Training Request Form or Call us at 1-866-291-9121 to see how much you can save in training costs for your organization!

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

Coast2Coast New Branches

 

We are very excited to announce two of our new branches are now up and running now: Mississauga and Etobicoke. We are ready to provide our top quality First Aid and CPR programs to these communities. Check out the Locations of our branches below:

 

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