Saving Lives

May 8, 2011

One of the documents you need to present when you apply to join any of the Canadian police forces is a first aid certificate. This has to be a valid standard first aid certificate from an organization approved under the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. The list is long meaning there should be an organization near you that can provide the required training.

One well known organization that many of my friends in the force trained with was the St. John Ambulance. They obviously have vast experience in dealing with situations at large scale events as well as smaller venues. We found the training to be well organized and very enjoyable.

First aid is a necessity for police cadets, but I personally think everyone should be encouraged to get some basic training. The police, paramedics and organizations like the St. John Ambulance try to reach an emergency situation as soon as possible. Members of the public can help save lives by administering mouth to mouth. They could quickly identify the signs quickly that someone is having a stroke or heart attack for example.

The first aid course I took was invaluable not just for my job, but also as a life skill. So if you reading this blog as a budding police officer or just as someone who likes to know how we work, I implore you to take a first aid course. You might one day save someone’s life.