Shouldn't First Aid be an "expiring" task for GTM3?

[RiverAux]

One of the advanced training tasks for Ground Team Member 3 is to complete Basic First Aid or an equivalent.  Leaving aside quibbles over the fact that "Basic First Aid" is pretty outdated terminology, shouldn't this task expire when the first aid certification expires?

The obvious practical reason to require people to maintain their first aid qualification is to ensure that they can actually perform first aid when called upon.  Someone that took it 20 years ago is fine and dandy the way things stand even if they still think cutting an X and sucking the blood out of a snakebite is the proper procedure like it might have been when they first trained.

There is also a secondary "legal" reason to require recertification... If someone has a current GTM3 qual on their 101 card does that mean they are "legal" under CAP regulations to perform first aid even if the original first aid certification is expired?  CAPR60-3 1-24f doesn't really say that you must be CURRENT and trained to provide first aid. 

If we were to make this an expiring task, I would also probably make first aid a requirement for all GTMS and GTLs so that they would all have to keep this certification current.  Probably would for CERT as well. 

[lordmonar]

No.

[IceNine]

Why should it expire again?

First aid as it stands is NOT a licensure, or certification and in most cases isn't even recognized by any authority other than the one issuing the card.

It is just another task with no more importance than building a fire or setting up shelter.  The skills need to be renewed with an SET once every 3 years and thats enough.

Last I checked splinting, putting gauze on top of a bleed, and other similar tasks were more common sense than an art form.

[IceNine]

Now if we were talking about a life and death course, lets say CPR then yes by all means make it a required task.  Even Nurses and in some cases MD's are required to be current CPR card holders.

[RiverAux]

It is just another task with no more importance than building a fire or setting up shelter.  The skills need to be renewed with an SET once every 3 years and thats enough.

Exactly.  We expect people to be able to remain qualified to do every other task on the SQTR, so why should this be the one thing that they can do once and not have to worry about for 50 years? 

I did just find this in CAPR60-3 2.4b2a
in regards to renewing qualifications

Most formal courses do not have to be re-accomplished though some are recommended like first aid training.

So, it is clear that under current regulations we encourage, but do not require, people to maintain first aid qualifications. 

I just don't understand why we make an exception for a course like this that has specific sets of defined knowledge that you need to be proficient in.  To go back to Ice's example, we basically give a SET person the option of making someone show them they still know how to start a fire or build a shelter in order to maintain their certification.  Why is the standard lesser for something that could save a life?

Now, I do think that some of the groups that give first aid training set their expiration dates way earlier than need be so as to guarantee themselves a constant revenue stream.  And given how these dates are likely to vary depending on who did the training and since I do agree that in general the information isn't terribly hard to remember, I think a good compromise might be to have the first aid task expire after 5 years. 

I think that would put people on a cycle where they would get remedial training often enough to ensure good information retention, but not overly redundant. 

Another alternative would be to just incorporate first aid tasks into the SQTR like any other tasks (which we already do to some extent in regards to heat, cold, dangerous plants, etc.) That way we wouldn't have to worry about outside organizations making money off of us.  Its not like the information would be that hard to gather together into the GTM task book.  After all, this is how the services handle their basic first aid -- they don't go to the Red Cross. 

If this were a "real" medical certification like EMT I would say go with the national certifying organization, but its not.  NHQ says in the reg that any course meeting the national standard will work, so why not have our own? 

[Eclipse]

The assumption in my wing, and I had assumed universally, has always been that First Aid does expire, and when it does, you're not current anymore.

Last I checked most first aid training providers expire their cards every 3 years and CPR every two.  First aid
cards are also required gear for a GTM.

An expired card means that in the eyes of your training provider you are no longer current.

Ergo...

[isuhawkeye]

^^^ Your milage may vary.  CPR and first aid expiration dates vary by the certifying entity. 

[RiverAux]

The assumption in my wing, and I had assumed universally, has always been that First Aid does expire, and when it does, you're not current anymore.

Last I checked most first aid training providers expire their cards every 3 years and CPR every two.  First aid
cards are also required gear for a GTM.

An expired card means that in the eyes of your training provider you are no longer current.

Ergo...

It SHOULD be that way, but the current reg, quoted previously, shows that it is not. 

[EMT-83]

Another alternative would be to just incorporate first aid tasks into the SQTR like any other tasks (which we already do to some extent in regards to heat, cold, dangerous plants, etc.) That way we wouldn't have to worry about outside organizations making money off of us.  Its not like the information would be that hard to gather together into the GTM task book.  After all, this is how the services handle their basic first aid -- they don't go to the Red Cross. 

If this were a "real" medical certification like EMT I would say go with the national certifying organization, but its not.  NHQ says in the reg that any course meeting the national standard will work, so why not have our own? 

This would probably work, as first aid techniques don't often change (except for the annual wet/dry burn protocol discussion).

CPR is a different story. There are constant changes, so this should be done through AHA or Red Cross.

[lordmonar]

The assumption in my wing, and I had assumed universally, has always been that First Aid does expire, and when it does, you're not current anymore.

Last I checked most first aid training providers expire their cards every 3 years and CPR every two.  First aid
cards are also required gear for a GTM.

An expired card means that in the eyes of your training provider you are no longer current.

Ergo...

The problem....is that it is not required for you to get the training from someone who provides cards.

[mc2]

At least with the squadron I go to, they have records of who's First Aid / CPR card expires when.  If it's not possible to get your card/course taken care of at your Squadron, many local fire departments will be happy to give you the required traning.  And as a GTL, I've been told even if someone has all other requirements for a mission, but not the First Aid Card, to tell them they can not go out on the mission.

[Eclipse]

The assumption in my wing, and I had assumed universally, has always been that First Aid does expire, and when it does, you're not current anymore.

Last I checked most first aid training providers expire their cards every 3 years and CPR every two.  First aid cards are also required gear for a GTM.

An expired card means that in the eyes of your training provider you are no longer current.

Ergo...

The problem....is that it is not required for you to get the training from someone who provides cards.

Varies by wing.

And as a GTL, I've been told even if someone has all other requirements for a mission, but not the First Aid Card, to tell them they can not go out on the mission.

Yep