PREFACE This course is designed to empower the layperson who might face an emergency in the course of their daily lives so they can feel comfortable handling many common conditions. As a layperson, you might feel afraid to dive in and help in the case of an injury or illness you encounter. With the help of this course, you will have the knowledge and skills to help strangers and loved ones alike who need help. The course isn’t intended to take the place of a medical professional’s advice but will help you participate in an individual’s care before advanced help arrives. Chapter one covers safety basics. Safety starts with injury prevention, which is something you can influence. Should an injury happen, however, you need to be prepared. This chapter talks about scene safety and infection prevention—things that are paramount when caring for a person in the field. It also talks about what your approach to the victim should be as well as the primary and secondary surveys that should occur when approaching the victim. Part of your job is to check for medical alert information on the victim and to get help when necessary. These important safety issues are covered in this chapter. The focus of chapter two is incident management, and covers what you need to do when you are faced with an emergency when no Emergency Medicine Services (EMS) are available. We’ve talked about getting help already; however, you need to know that there are things you can do as a bystander that can make the difference between life and death in an emergency situation. Auto accidents, water accidents, and fires are possible incidents you may encounter. In rare instances, you might be asked to help in a mass casualty incident. This is where your first aid skills could be very helpful. Finally, you could be in a survival situation while camping or hiking where your knowledge of first aid could save your life or the life of others.
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