CPR Recertification – An Overview

This blog is here to guide you through the process of getting your CPR recertification, as well as alleviate any doubts as to why you might need it.

To lay the groundwork for this, here are a few reasons why anyone already certified should still get re-certified every three years, or more frequently if you are a medical practitioner.

  1. Skill Retention Concerns

Once you’d gone through your initial training, you received all the knowledge and skill necessary to perform this lifesaving technique on another person. As the years go by, however, can you be absolutely sure that all the knowledge and skills you attained during that first course are still with you? Moreover, are you willing to find it out in a life-threatening situation? Just as is the case with any acquired skill, a lack of practice dulls the reflexes and erodes memory. Refreshing it is as vital as learning it in the first place.

  1. New Practices and Rules

The medical field, just as everything else in our lives, does not stand still. Better, more efficient and innovative methods are developed rapidly. The CPR and first aid courses you took three years ago taught the best practices known at the time. Learning newer methods now will increase your efficiency at dealing with the emergency.

  1. Laws and Liabilities

This may be a source of some frustration, but the fact is that the law treats a person who knows CPR yet doesn’t have a valid certificate, as if they weren’t trained at all. There is much damage that can result in someone applying CPR when they are untrained, and this is a precaution set in place to prevent it. Of course, if there is no other choice, an untrained (or not recertified) individual may decide to step in and assist, but the legal implications may be bad.

How to get CPR Recertified?

The good news is that recertification is even faster than initial first aid courses or first time cpr courses you took. The process of CPR recertification is pretty simple – you get to take a quick online refresher course for the knowledge set needed to perform CPR, and then proceed to a quick skill test in one of our many CPR training facilities conveniently located all around the Greater Toronto Area.

And finally, don’t look at this as an obstacle, but an opportunity.

An opportunity to enhance your skills, learn new ones and ultimately be better equipped to help save someone’s life.

Knowing What to do When Disaster Strikes in 2017

Disaster never calls ahead of time before it comes knocking.

It will crash your party in the middle of the night, or catch up with you on the road. It can sneak up on you, out or indoors. It loves catching people in swimming pools and lakes.

And sometimes large scale tragedies occur, such as the all to recent fire that raged across Port MacMurray, or the huge blackout we had two winters ago all over Toronto and the GTA.

The only thing we can do is prepare and keep a cool head when it happens.

But what does it mean to be prepared, apart from taking a Red Cross CPR course?

If you really want to be ready for an emergency, just follow this short list of New Year Resolutions for 2017.

Prep a First Aid and Emergency Gear Kit

Get a first aid kit for emergencies only (separate from the every day one) and keep it fully stocked at all times. Put it in a small pack with a list of additional important survival items.

Those include a three day supply of water and non-perishable food, a flashlight plus spare batteries and/or solar charger, multi tool, copies of all important cards and documents (proof of address, traveling documents, insurance policies, birth certificates, etc.), extra cash, and a spare cellphone, fully charged.

Set up an Emergency Plan

Discuss evacuation / emergency response scenarios with your family. Plan what to do when separated, set up places to meet, people to contact. Make sure at least a few household members had first aid and CPR training.

Make sure every household member knows where the emergency kit is stored so anyone can access it at need. If you have an evacuation route, plan a few alternatives in case the road gets blocked.

Stay on Top of Things

If you travel to areas of increased risk, do extra research on the dangers. If you are located near disaster zones (flooding, fires, blackouts), keep an eye on the news at all times, especially in the seasons when it is likely to occur.

And finally, get as many family members as possible through First Aid and CPR training. It doesn’t have to be a full fledged disaster for a loved one to be in danger. Saving lives is an ability everyone should have.

Contact one of our centers for first aid and CPR training today and get certified.

4 Reasons You Need First Aid and CPR Training

Sudden cardiac arrest has been determined as the leading cause of death in North America.

This is made worse by the fact that many cases of cardiac arrest did not have to result in death, if they were treated immediately. Most cases occur not in hospitals but in settings where qualified medical help cannot get in time.

They happen at work, on the beach, during trips, and in other absolutely benign circumstances.

This in itself is reason enough to get CPR and First Aid training, but here are 4 more reasons that should convince anyone to take this course.

CPR is Easy to Learn

Thousands of people a year get trained and certified to save the lives of their friends and loved ones during a cardiac arrest or another emergency. The mechanic of cardiac arrest is very simple. It occurs when the electrical rhythm that keeps the heart beating is disrupted, causing it to stop. The person loses consciousness, stops breathing and collapses. The time that passes from then to when they get CPR first aid is crucial to their survival. The steps of administering CPR can be performed by virtually anyone who knows what they are doing, which is to say they got CPR training.

CPR is Not Known by Enough People

The chances that a bystander happens to know this lifesaving technique are still very low, despite all our efforts. Every person of conscience should take the small effort of learning it, in case someone else needs it. The more people know how to administer it, the better chances are for someone else to be able to save your own life, if it happens to you.

CPR Doesn’t Require Mouth to Mouth Resuscitation

Mouth to mouth resuscitation is what deters most people from learning it, but it is not necessary in most situations. You can lay your concerns aside. The guidelines for CPR have changed over 5 years ago, and you can still save a life by administering hands-only CPR, which is usually just as effective.

Most Cardiac Arrests Occur at Home

Unlike a busy street, where the chances of there being someone who knows CPR are still slim, at home those chances are lower still. Break this statistic by enrolling in our CPR training in Brampton or anywhere else in the GTA to make sure that every adult in the household can save the other’s life when the need arises.

We have many locations to choose from in Toronto and the GTA where you can easily learn first aid CPR and other life saving techniques.

Join one now. It’s easy to learn and the benefits are priceless.

We’re here for you, to be there for others.

Register for CPR or First Aid Training

Register today for a CPR or First Aid training course at one of our locations across Ontario! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.
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Red Cross Helps Businesses & Schools Prepare For Emergencies

From forest fires to large scale power outages that leave entire neighborhoods without heat or water for days, there are things that you just cannot prepare for enough.

The result of such disasters is that people’s lives and livelihoods are disrupted even when not in immediate danger. Businesses and schools close down, hospitals switch to emergency power, people have to leave their homes. Families get separated.

The American Red Cross decided to weigh in and had established an online Ready Rating program that helps public organizations, non-profits and private businesses to assess their disaster readiness levels and pick up the slack where necessary.

The first step of this program is a fully confidential assessment of the current emergency readiness level. The result of this assessment is a set of customized recommendations and tips for increased preparedness. This feedback is provided immediately with additional resources for information, training centers and emergency supplies access.

The program is absolutely invaluable, as it offers a toolkit to evaluate and improve disaster preparedness, doing it absolutely free of charge.

The Ready Rating Program is a multi-tier toolbox containing several free services you can make use of as a business, school or non-profit organization.

Emergency Response Plan Tool. This tool allows you to create your own customized plan for disaster relief and getting all employees on board with a Red Cross CPR course and other important training.

Next Steps Report Tool. This one creates a list of actions to increase disaster prep levels in your organization or company.

Resource and Information Center. Get full access to exercises, courses and activities to develop and prepare your students and staff for a possible emergency.

Ready Rating Store. Purchase all necessary supplies you are missing right there.

Being prepared means having everything set up for quick and efficient action in case of emergency and/or evac. This includes personal Red Cross CPR course training, emergency tools / supplies, and contingency planning.

You need to know your evacuation routes, fire escapes, emergency phone numbers and everything else that may be necessary in case of floods, fires, power outages and the like.

So there you have it, all you need to know in one convenient resource.

If you got your supplies and plans, and all you need is a place for Red Cross First Aid and CPR training, check out our facilities in your area.

We are here for you, so you can be there for others.

Register for CPR or First Aid Training

Register today for a CPR or First Aid training course at one of our locations across Ontario! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.
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What To Do To Keep Your Child Safe Around Water

Water safety is crucial whenever you take your kids to the pool, or lake, or water park.

 

The big problem with it is that it’s hard to teach children water safety. Scare tactics and other unproductive methods of teaching to kids do more harm than good, however, so there has to be another way. What do you do, then, to make sure your family enjoys itself on the waterside trip and doesn’t get itself into unnecessary risk?

 

There is no one solution, but a set of solutions to this, which achieves great results if you are doing it right.

 

So how do you prepare your kids for water safety?

 

There are several things you can do.

 

Swimming Lessons

 

Don’t wait till they learn it on their own, take them to a swimming lesson. This is not hard, and the basics can be learned within some 10 lessons and practiced to perfection in the pool without an instructor.

 

Do your Homework

 

Make sure you learn as much as possible about water safety and water emergency yourself. Take a red cross CPR course focusing on water safety to make sure you are really on top of things. When you instruct the child, the information should be conveyed in an age-appropriate manner, reinforcing key messages regularly to make sure the information is internalized.

Back the information with sound reasoning. After all, everyone is more motivated to follow a rule if they understand the rationale behind it.

 

Avoid Scare Tactics

 

As we mentioned above, getting kids to be scared of water is not conducive to increased safety. Quite the contrary. There’s a fine line between awareness and anxiety, with the latter leading to being less aware, increasing the danger. The right way is to teach the child to reach aware, confident and intelligent decisions.

 

Lead by Personal Example

 

Children are naturally observant, and tend to put more stock on what they see rather than what they hear. If you want your child to wear a life vest on a boat, be absolutely sure to wear one yourself at all times.

 

Back Preparation by Supervision

 

No matter how responsible and mature your child is, adult supervision is be necessary whenever children play in water. Be close to the child and fully tuned to his activity when he’s in the water.

And of course, if you take the time to take a Red Cross CPR course to supplement your knowledge in water safety, it will increase the safety of your family considerably.

 

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What To Consider When Choosing a First Aid Training Provider

If you understand the importance and necessity of acquiring adequate knowledge in CPR and First Aid, you must also realize that First Aid CPR training also requires highly qualified instructors and facilities to convey the necessary knowledge and habits.

Skill and knowledge become habit when practiced repeatedly and correctly, and habit is exactly what you need in an emergency – a reflex that takes over and leads you to respond with quick and precise action to save someone’s life.

Good First Aid CPR training differs from inadequate training in that it is perfected to achieve results in the minimum amount of time – making sure you understand how it works and that you’re perfectly capable of doing it yourself without panicking, freezing or making dangerous mistakes.

But how do you choose a good first aid training in Brampton?

There are several considerations you should focus on when making this decision.

Training Personnel Qualifications

 

This is easy to check online even before you contact or meet anyone. Examine the instructor’s credentials. He or she should have a valid First Aid certificate and all additional papers such as Pediatric First Aid (if they are teaching First Aid for kids) and other necessary papers. In addition to being a trained in First Aid, the instructor should have a teaching qualification. They have to hold a Level 3 Education and Training qualification at the very least. If the school has multiple instructors, ask who you should expect to be teaching you or your group, and review their specific credentials.

Actual First Aid Experience

 

A good First Aid training instructor should have actual field experience before going back into the classroom to teach others. Part of the preparation is dealing with stress, and an instructor who ever only did First Aid in a secure simulated environment can’t possibly know the first thing about this crucial aspect of the job. That’s why we only hire Red Cross instructors with years of experience for our First Aid Training Brampton and other centers in the GTA and Southern Ontario.

Course Content and Quality Assurance

 

There are standards set by the Red Cross to which any and every First Aid training class must adhere. Make sure the centre you choose follows them. This should additionally include processes the training provider has in place to monitor and review the training delivered by its instructors, including refresher courses and other supplementary checks to keep the training level high.

Our center for first aid training in Brampton offers all this and more.

Come see for yourself and train with the best!

Register for First Aid Training

Register today for a First Aid Training course and learn how to deal with emergencies and keep your loved ones safe! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.

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Reach Out to Help those in Need This Holiday Season

This article is for those readers who wish to partake in the spirit of Christmas in its fullest, most complete sense. In addition to the festive dinner, greeting cards and presents, there is also one other aspect to keep in mind. Canadian winter.

There are many people in Canada who need real help from others just to stay alive.

In addition to Red Cross First Aid and CPR training, this amazing organization also provides humanitarian aid to those who’d had to live through small or large scale disasters, in Canada and worldwide. They collect donations and fund much needed evacuation and relief efforts.

In addition to large scale disasters such as floods and fires, the Canadian Red Cross also helps victims of what’s known as silent disasters.

Minor but Very Personal and Very Real

This term describes “minor” tragedies that happen all over Canada on an almost daily basis. They are called silent because they are so ubiquitous and personal that almost no one except from close relations ever gets to hear about them.

When a single family is hit by a house fire, flood or a collapsed roof, it won’t make the papers, but it’s a tragedy nevertheless. The Canadian Cross is there for those people, offering shelter, food, and clothing.

There are other programs, such as Meals on Wheels that make sure people get fed who might otherwise remain hungry through the holidays. The nonprofit also donates and lends medical equipment to those who cannot buy it themselves.

There are other ways to help people in addition to taking a Red Cross CPR course. This year, the Holiday Campaign is strongly focused on assisting people with everyday necessities they lack for one reason or another.

Some families can’t afford the essential things in life due to illness-related loss of employment or a death in the family. Elderly people suffering from neglect should not starve or endure hard winter cold. A mother with a baby on her hands needs help too.

Where There is a Will, There Is a Way

You can also assist those in need this winter by making a personal gift of old clothing, a hot meal or other things the Red Cross collects and distributes to those who need it most.

This is a way to make a real difference in a real person’s life.

There are many more ways to be there for others even before you need the knowledge you learned in a Red Cross CPR course.

And it is far better if it doesn’t get there at all.

Canadian Red Cross Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress

The Holiday season is a blissful and fun time of year, but it can also be extremely taxing.

You have to get presents for everyone, call your friends and write greeting cards to family members and co-workers, not to mention cooking, traveling and other enjoyable but still pretty stressful activities.


The Canadian Red Cross has issued a list of tips and advice intended to help families and individuals in Canada enjoy the holiday season better by shaking off its stressful effects or avoiding them altogether.


This publication comes as part of their seasonal Red Cross First Aid and CPR preparation program. If you’re wondering at the connection, suffice to say that accident prevention is far more easy to achieve than damage control when an accident has already happened. After all, driving while stressed in the typical Canadian winter is more than a bit hazardous. A stressed person is not only unhappy, but also not exactly safe.


So relax and read on about the ways to reduce Holiday Stress

Eat healthy.

Yes, the dining part of Christmas and New Year is traditional, but the more unhealthy the food is, the more stress it puts on our system. Balance healthy food with moderate drinking, and you will enjoy the holidays all the more.

Rest a lot.

The surest way to destress is just relax. Take the time to get extra sleep and simply take time to yourself between your engagements. That way you will have more energy to spare for all the enjoyment. Read a book, watch a movie, or just go for a sauna visit.

Prioritize.

This one connects to the previous point. There’s only so much you can put on your plate. Don’t try to be everywhere at once. Allow yourself more time and energy to enjoy the things you decide to do, and leave something for next year.

Finally and most importantly, spend time with your loved ones. The support we are capable of providing each other cannot be underestimated. It is, after all, why a Red Cross CPR course is so important. So we can be there for them in a time of need.


We cannot stress this enough. Our family is what makes us happy. Be there for them and allow them to be there for you, all the time.

And if you want to know more about the effects of, or wish to hear about the Red Cross CPR course we have, let us know. We’re here for you, so you can be there for others.


Happy Holidays!

Are you prepared to respond in a Cardiac Emergency?

When life throws an emergency at you, it is always by surprise.   One moment everything is normal, but then suddenly you are short of breath. You begin to feel dizzy and then, a few moments later the ground escapes your grasp and you fall down. Or the same thing happens to a loved one, leaving you just as helpless and terrified.   Heart Attacks and What we Can do About Them   Such descriptions are what you hear from people who’d undergone acute myocardial infarction or a heart attack, as people commonly call it. Most of us are not healthcare professionals, so we are not familiar with all the ACC/AHA guidelines of cardiac event treating as doctors do.   However, there is a real chance for you to at some point in life really wish you knew the basic techniques to help saving the life of a loved one.   Why is First Aid and CPR Training so Important?  

  • Reading about it is not enough. Physically participating in a First aid CPR training program teaches you both theory and practice. You will get familiar with numerous types of commonly encountered emergency types and will be able to deal with all of them.
  • Besides learning about ways how to treat emergencies, upon completion of our First Aid and CPR training you will feel more confident when facing an emergency, which is no less important because in most emergency events – timing is critical.
  • As evidence shows, when emergency occurs, if there is somebody in the crowd proficient in CPR and first aid techniques – the chances of an emergency event victim to survive are twice better.
  • Getting to know all the risks and hazards during the first aid training changes your mode of behavior to a more rational and cautious one, leading to less risk taking in general.

  Understanding those risks and the benefits of having trained people around, many schools and other workplaces in Mississauga and other GTA cities encourage their employees to get their First Aid and CPR training. This is of course a policy we wholeheartedly embrace.   Whether you work at Credit Valley Hospital or St. Joseph’s High School, our first aid and cpr Mississauga can help you get the accreditation you need.   First aid and CPR is now More Accessible than Ever   We alone at Coast2Coast First Aid offer you a choice between multiple locations across the GTA. With our centres scattered in Mississauga, Brampton, North York and other convenient locations, it is perfectly simple to enroll and get your CPR and First Aid training now.   Just visit our site and get on board with the training you would like to get! Coast to Coast First Aid is here for you.

Knowing CPR Gives you the Confidence to Save Lives

First of all, it’s normal to be afraid when you get hit by a disaster.

People naturally feel comfortable in their routine non changing environments, but when an emergency occurs, we tend to get panicked. Panic by itself is a normal human “fight or flight” reaction and there is nothing wrong with it.

It can however lead to two harmful things:

  • It can prevent you from assisting to those in need during an emergency.
  • It can create unnecessary distraction to other people who want to help.

How Not to Panic in an Emergency?

Of course if you are trained in CPR and First Aid as a healthcare professional, you will be used to responding with calculated calm to an emergency. Or if you are a policeman or a firefighter, got some first aid training.

While there is some chance that during an emergency there might be a police officer or a trained paramedic nearby, this is still unlikely and you are probably going to have to wait for help to arrive after you call 911.

This is why many workplaces encourage or even demand their employees to get basic CPR and First Aid training. Places like Credit Valley Hospital, Trillium Health Partners, Pinewood Medical Centre and some high schools in the Mississauga and Brampton areas routinely direct their workers to get CPR training and certification.

One of the places to go for CPR training in Mississauga is our own Coast to Coast facility of course, covering all levels of proficiency and types of training.

Getting a CPR training course can make a real difference for someone’s life, giving you the tools and confidence needed to deal with an emergency.

How can CPR Training Help you Gain Confidence?

Knowledge is Everything. When you know what to do and how to do it, the emergency will be no longer a frightening mess for you, but rather a certain scheme you have to follow in order to gain the desired result.

Timing is Crucial. In addition to lack of knowledge, what terrifies people a lot is the limited time frame in which you can actually help a person during an emergency. CPR training will teach you not only how, but when to assist in case of an emergency, and to do it fast.

Repetition for Perfection. Your CPR certificate is valid for a limited time period (3 years). After it expires, you’ll have to perform an additional training session (though shorter). That way you will constantly strengthen your confidence, and gain new skills.

Where to Begin?

Right here! If you want to know more about our CPR and first aid courses, feel free to visit our website. We have first aid classes in Mississauga, Brampton and many other GTA locations.

With knowledge and confidence, we can all make a difference when it really matters and save someone’s life!

Register for CPR or First Aid Training

Register today for a CPR or First Aid training course at one of our locations across Ontario! Check out our facilities and book your spot now.
Register Now