Sound Off: CPR and First Aid

Hello FohBoh-ites....

I am in the middle of a two-day Wilderness First Aid Class. As part of the class, we finished the two-year certification from the American Heart Association on CPR, AED Use, and Choking.

One of the most interesting stats in the group, and one that our instructors validated, is that just about everyone either knows someone who was choking or was involved in administering what was then known as the "Heimlich Maneurver," and which now is referred to as simply "Abdominal Thrusts."

I have actually been involved in a successful Abdominal Thrust that ended a choking episode in a restaurant I was working in.

Fact: 95% of all choking victims recover completely after the use of the Abdominal Thrust by those trained to administer them.

So my question for all of you food and beverage professionals: How many of your are trained in CPR, Abdominal Thrust Administration, and Basic First Aid?

Sound off right here, and if you're not certified in these basic skills, what will you do to acquire them? The lives of your coworkers and guests may depend on this training that's very easy to acquire.

Cheers!

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Comment by Adam R. Cox on March 30, 2008 at 8:56am: CPR/First Aid is critical. Everyone should learn it. We sent our local babysitter through the Babysitting class via American Red Cross. It's $40 and it actually will boost their rate when babysitting. Unfortunatly, she got popular in school and does not babysit for us anymore. But it was great!

My dad was on the Beartooth Mtn Ski Patrol when I was growing up. I played Victim during all their practice times. So I learned via osmosis. I also took the CPR class about 2-3 times. Need to get re-certified.

However, thanks for the great info about the Wilderness Protocols. I was not aware of the 1/4 mile is 1 hour. Very handy to know.

Also, one thing to realize is that when your in the Wilderness, your Cellphone will not always work! One reason I became a Ham Radio Operator. KE7JRE. Depending on freqency and location you can get very far. This only was reinforced by Jame Kim. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Kim Tragedy!

I urge you to take the test and get licensed! IF you want more info, send me a note via my page!

Comment by Matt Urdan on March 30, 2008 at 4:42am: Steve, I work south of Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Just because we have internet access at our center does not mean that wilderness protocols do not apply. Wilderness Protocols take precedence when a victim is 1 hour or more away from definitive care, i.e. an emergeny room in a hospital. If you are hiking on the Appalachain Trail, or a number of other trails that run through this area, you measure time as 1 hour for every 1/4 mile they are off the trailhead. You don't need to be that far off the beaten path before wilderness protocols step in and definitive care--the time it takes to summon EMS--30-45 minutes in this area, the time it takes for them to unload their equipment--guerneys, backboards, kits, 5 minutes, the time it takes for them to get to the trailhead, 5-45 minutes, and the time it takes for them to carry all this equipment sometimes many miles on the trail. Under dense national forests, helicopters are usually not an option, and the nearest ones are in Knoxville or Asheville, 70+ miles away without the ability to locate an injured party under dense vegetation like kudzu and trees.

Additionally, should there be complications, such as a climbing accident on a steep trail, or a river rescue, specialized equipment like rope harnesses and z-drags and other rescue systems need to be set up.

The reality is, if you are on a mountain trail, if you on a wilderness river, if you had a mountain biking accident, or you are hanging from a rope harness in a climbing accident of some kind, specialized rescue personnel are required, EMS are not equipped to handle it, and rescue evacs and extractions can take as long as 6-12 hours, even in an area that has internet access and cell phone service at nodes along a US highway that runs through the wilderness.

Wilderness First Aid is much more in depth than standard first aid by the American Red Cross, because we are in Wilderness settings and it's very likely the situations those of us out here will come in contact with will require us to provide care far longer than anyone in a city with EMS access within a few minutes of calling 911.

Cheers!

Comment by Steve Paterson on March 29, 2008 at 9:40pm: Not to be cynical but how much wilderness can it be if you're posting here right now?

And in my experience, a few managers and hourlies might know some of this from somewhere else, but you don't see Heimlech trained enough in foodservice, let alone CPR etc