Basic First Aid and CPR classes aren't mandatory, but they are nice to have if someone close to you is injured or begins to experience symptoms of a heart attack. In Fulton County, emergency fulton county services are able to provide on the scene care and transport patients to the hospital for treatment. The question is what happens between the time of the accident and their arrival? This is where having first aid and CPR training can be beneficial.

A person trained in basic first aid is taught much more than wound care. They are taught how to assess a situation and make the area safe. This means looking around to see what other possible hazards may be close by and taking measures to prevent them from doing any more harm to the person who is injured. For example, if someone is injured in a car accident, the key is to prevent other vehicles from hitting the damaged cars and keeping the drivers out of harms way. As things are being secured, a phone call to emergency services of 9-1-1 should be made to make sure they are aware of the problem and that EMT's or paramedics can be sent.

Once the scene has been secured, the next step is to assess the condition of the person who has been injured. If there are more than one or two people at the accident, someone can be securing the scene and making the 9-1-1 phone call while the patient is being looked after. A person who only has experience in first aid will be able to determine rather quickly if they are capable of rendering any type of assistance. If injuries are out of there league, In some cases, it is best to provide what assistance you can, such as putting pressure on bleeding wounds and comforting the patient until EMT's or paramedics arrive.

Having basic First Aid training is extremely beneficial when minor injuries occur. Most basic first aid classes show you how to properly clean and bandage a cut or wound as well as how to take a person's blood pressure, respiration rate, pulse and temperature. They are also taught what signs and symptoms to look for if someone believes they are having a heart attack. Comforting a small child after they have received a cut or scrape is just as important as calming someone who is experiencing chest pains or symptoms of a stroke.

Individuals who attend sporting events for their children or grandchildren can also see benefits from being trained and certified in first aid. Most high school sanctioned sporting events are required to have an ambulance or other type of medical assistance on hand at all times. Community sponsored events like little league and pee wee football have no such requirements. Often times, if a child is injured it is up to the parents to offer treatment. Having basic first aid training allows the person to step and help the child while being protected under most states' Good Samaritan Law.

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