Cost Effective First Aid/CPR

Started by jpizzo127, July 07, 2009, 03:44:47 PM

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jpizzo127

Can someone suggest a cost effective method for getting my new members qualified in First Aid?

The instructors we're used in the past have charged anywhere from $35 to $45.

I am learning that this might be very expensive by comparison.


Please advise. Thanks!
JOSEPH PIZZO, Captain, CAP

John Bryan

If you can get a member to become an instructor often times they can do it at a reduced cost. There are a number of groups that certify instructors...such as American Heart Assc, American Red Cross and the National Safety Council. They all have different rules about what their instructors can do but for the  most part having an in house instructor saves a group or company a lot of money.

Eclipse

That's the way to go - have the Group / units pony up some money for sending a couple of members to instructor class and for the practice dummies, from there you can generally offer classes for the costs of the materials (~$10).

"That Others May Zoom"

Al Sayre

Have a medical professional teach the "Buddy First Aid course"  You can download the course material free, and it meets the ES first aid requirements.
Lt Col Al Sayre
MS Wing Staff Dude
Admiral, Great Navy of the State of Nebraska
GRW #2787

DC

Check with your local fire dept/EMS agency or a hospital, often they will teach group classes for free.

A few years ago the better part of my squadron got First Aid/CPR certified for free thanks to the county EMS agency. It was also taught by professional medics with serious experience, rather than someone with First Aid training and an instructor card.

Eclipse

Quote from: Al Sayre on July 07, 2009, 07:26:49 PM
Have a medical professional teach the "Buddy First Aid course"  You can download the course material free, and it meets the ES first aid requirements.

Check with your Wing before doing that - the above would not meet my Wing's standards. YMMV.

"That Others May Zoom"

Daniel

your local public school may certify people very cheaply.. I pay $10 for mine.
C/Capt Daniel L, CAP
Wright Brothers No. 12670
Mitchell No. 59781
Earhart No. 15416

Fireball

I volunteered to be a First Aid Responder (basically a band-aid brigade) at my employer. They pay for my training and I have gotten a lot of real world experience
R. N. Brock, Maj, CAP
NCWG

Ozzy

Yea, the best bet is to find someone who is an Instructor or find someone in CAP that is. My squadron has one, maybe you can ask her to do a course/class? PM sent.
Ozyilmaz, MSgt, CAP
C/Lt. Colonel (Ret.)
NYWG Encampment 07, 08, 09, 10, 17
CTWG Encampment 09, 11, 16
NER Cadet Leadership School 10
GAWG Encampment 18, 19
FLWG Winter Encampment 19

argentip

I would agree that you should find a member or friend that is an instructor that will colunteer their time.  In my squadron, we have 2 American Red Cross Instructors (I am one of them) and 2 American Heart Association Instructors.  The AHA is much less expensive than the ARC classes.

Red Cross requires that students have books, which either the unit or studnet has to buy.  Then you have go rent the mannequins (unless you get those donated).  Plus the chapter will have a fee of around $5 ussually as a processing fee.

American Heart doesn't require students to buy books (just to have them available during the course) and then you have to also get mannequins.

When my squadron did a CPR class a few months ago, we chose to do the Heart Assoc. class because of the price.  We also got the fire dept we meet at to let us use their mannequins and the disposable face shields they had.

I would still look at all your options before deciding on which organization to go with.  The material is almost identical, its just how it is presented and what the local policies are.
Phil Argenti, Col, CAP
GLR-IN-001

gistek

Most Red Cross chapters will permit youth oriented community service organizations to "library" the course books. This means you need to buy some to teach from, but can then use them over and over.

http://www.profirstaid.com offers a free online study program that covers the same information as the Red Cross courses. They do charge about $40 for the certification, and I don't know how widely it is accepted, but people should be able to successfully challenge the Red Cross tests after successfully completing the ProFirstAid course.

You should also look into the Emergency Care and Safety Institute (ECST) http://www.ecsinstitute.org/ I used my Red Cross instructor credentials to qualify as a teacher in their program, but they do have an instructor training course you might look into.

Hawk Mountain Ranger School in Kempton, PA offers a First Aid weekend in November. Last year's cost was $20.00 per student. Their instructors are ECSI certified, and most work in the EMS field.

Airrace

Send one of your members to a Red Cross Instructors class. You can then rent or purchase the dummies and training material to put on classes for your members at a reduced rate. Usually you need to renew your certification every two years so it's a good investment and could help save someones life as well.

BTCS1 C/CC

AHA provides a BLS course that is cheaper then the rest. It includes cpr aed choking for the advanced medical professional.
C/TSgt W

Airrace

Have one or two members get certified to teach. We use Red Cross and it seems to work out fine. You can rent the equipment from them and eventually try and purchase your own equipment to bring the cost savings down even more.

SJFedor

Quote from: BTCS1 C/CC on August 19, 2009, 03:55:08 PM
AHA provides a BLS course that is cheaper then the rest. It includes cpr aed choking for the advanced medical professional.

Which is designed for just that, medical professionals. EMT's, Paramedics, RNs, MDs, RRTs, all the acronyms, not lay rescuers. Heathcare provider level CPR goes into some skills (BVM usage, etc) which isn't practical for most lay rescuers. Lay rescuers need to be saying "Call 911!" not "call a code and get a crash cart!"  >:D

Steven Fedor, NREMT-P
Master Ambulance Driver
Former Capt, MP, MCPE, MO, MS, GTL, and various other 3-and-4 letter combinations
NESA MAS Instructor, 2008-2010 (#479)

marty1

I understand the original question was reqarding new members, however, the new 60-3 addresses this for GTMs.
3-5. a. (2)

(a) Emergency Services and other Operations training missions; this training is expected to prepare members to meet AFAM requirements and earn emergency services specialty qualifications; any training for tasks required to become qualified may be included in this category. For example, communications user training for personnel that will operate radio equipment on missions would be acceptable as well as water survival training for aircrew members in coastal states, or first aid training for ground teams.

So, the training can be a funded mission if your wing approves.
Marty Nix, Maj, CAP
DR Officer
TN-001

BTCS1 C/CC

Quote from: SJFedor on August 31, 2009, 05:44:37 PM
Quote from: BTCS1 C/CC on August 19, 2009, 03:55:08 PM
AHA provides a BLS course that is cheaper then the rest. It includes cpr aed choking for the advanced medical professional.

Which is designed for just that, medical professionals. EMT's, Paramedics, RNs, MDs, RRTs, all the acronyms, not lay rescuers. Heathcare provider level CPR goes into some skills (BVM usage, etc) which isn't practical for most lay rescuers. Lay rescuers need to be saying "Call 911!" not "call a code and get a crash cart!"  >:D



Do you know where i can get the patch for my uniform for BLS with AHA?
C/TSgt W

afgeo4

Your local volunteer ambulance/firefighters should be able to help with it at a lower cost.
GEORGE LURYE

BTCS1 C/CC

C/TSgt W

SJFedor

Quote from: BTCS1 C/CC on September 08, 2009, 02:25:08 AM
Quote from: SJFedor on August 31, 2009, 05:44:37 PM
Quote from: BTCS1 C/CC on August 19, 2009, 03:55:08 PM
AHA provides a BLS course that is cheaper then the rest. It includes cpr aed choking for the advanced medical professional.

Which is designed for just that, medical professionals. EMT's, Paramedics, RNs, MDs, RRTs, all the acronyms, not lay rescuers. Heathcare provider level CPR goes into some skills (BVM usage, etc) which isn't practical for most lay rescuers. Lay rescuers need to be saying "Call 911!" not "call a code and get a crash cart!"  >:D



Do you know where i can get the patch for my uniform for BLS with AHA?

....seriously?

Steven Fedor, NREMT-P
Master Ambulance Driver
Former Capt, MP, MCPE, MO, MS, GTL, and various other 3-and-4 letter combinations
NESA MAS Instructor, 2008-2010 (#479)