It’s funny how easy it is to loose track of time. I know it’s been awhile since I completed my Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner applied certificate but it wasn’t until I actually started working again this summer that I realized just how much time had passed. More specifically, I realized how much time had passed since I completed a first aid course which is something I could potentially need on any given day in my life.

I’ve always belived that it’s important to be prepared in the event of an emergency but of course, it’s easy to talk to talk than to walk the walk so I was actually happy when I was required to obtain a certificate in first aid as part of my program a few years back. (It’s actually a requirement along with WHMIS and TDG before you can start your practicum which is of course required to complete the program.) I’ll be honest, passing a little test so you can get a cute little piece of paper doesn’t really mean much about your knowledge or abilities. There are many well educated people who cannot apply their knowledge to a situation and many uneducated people who can simply do without needing to be told anything. I’ve certain met my fair share of both types of people! In reality though, when you talk about the average person, knowledge helps and first aid courses and general emergency preparedness programs really do help to get people ready for any occurrence. Even the act of repeating a program every few years has apparently been shown to improve quality and quantity of responses. (It makes me wonder why we don’t do this with driver’s licences but that’s a whole other argument!)

I’ll admit that I wasn’t exactly pleased with the program I took last time or the people I took it from so I tried to do a little bit of research this time around. Luckily, I found a company in town affiliated with the Canadian Red Cross who had flexible schedules. One of the irritating things about most programs is the length of time you have to spend in class. Two full days back to back is exhausting! And if you have to take a weekend out of your schedule to do it, well…I’m not sure how that really benefits a person in terms of short term health! But four 4 hour classes twice a week for two weeks? That’s totally doable! So doable in fact that no one has any excuses anymore! Seriously! What are you waiting for?!

Anyway, I have never been in a situation where I needed to use any of first aid skills and even though I’m definitely ready and willing to volunteer as a first aider, I hope I never have to deal with anything serious. I feel confident – well, as confident as one can be with no direct experience – that I have the knowledge and skills to assist anyone who needs help and that is truly a good feeling. It’s the real reason why we should all be prepared.