Nicole Spooner performs CPR on a dummy during a First Aid and CPR course offered by St. John Ambulance in Red Deer. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

you'll want to know how to help

St. John Ambulance hopes more will sign up for First Aid and CPR courses

Mar 23, 2024 | 11:53 AM

St. John Ambulance is encouraging more Albertans to become certified in First Aid and CPR.

The organization offers different course levels around Alberta, including at its learning centre just off 67 Street near Golden West in Red Deer.

Kathy Rivers, Training and Community Service Coordinator says no one wants to be in an emergency and not know what to do.

“With the amount of people who have medical conditions or heart attacks, and who aren’t expecting them, then to be caught in something like that with no tools or no information on how to get that person from their emergency to when medical help arrives can make a huge difference,” says Rivers.

“It’s not a position people want to be in. Even if it’s not required for a workplace, everyone has somebody they love whom if something were to happen to them, they’d want to be able to help.”

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Certification typically lasts three years, with courses touching on many things, including but not limited to adult, child and infant CPR, severe bleeding, burns, eye injuries, and mental health awareness.

Some classes are now offered partially online, adds Rivers.

There’s also training for prospective instructors, and St. John is always seeking volunteers to help at events. As a bonus, volunteering will get you the medical first responder course for free.

In 2022, St. John’s training capacity and business levels increased, though not quite to pre-COVID levels.

According to St. John’s annual report (the latest available) for 2022 in Alberta, a total of 73,900 First Aid and CPR training certificates were issued, plus another 300 from its Mental Health & Awareness for the Workplace course, and 1,000 for the Online Health & Safety training.

In addition, 1,450 elementary students received the We Can Help Tool program.

The province had 400 instructors in 2022.

For more information, visit SJA.ca.