It's always a good time to learn CPR & First Aid

We worked with pediatric-sized manikins in class.

Ever since I trained as an EMT at the Bergen County (NJ) Police and Fire Training Academy back in the Seventies, I've tried to keep current with my first aid and CPR certifications. We've moved around quite a bit in the last 20 years, so it hasn't always been easy to stay in that loop. But I was fortunate to be able to take the Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED course the other day offered by the Red Cross so now I am certified again, for two years.

When I first learned CPR it was very serious. We trained and were tested on full-sized manikins that precisely measured how fast/slow we were doing compressions and how deep/shallow we were giving breaths. There was even a recorded tape of our efforts printed out to get graded!

But over the years, the process has "loosened" up. About three-quarters of the course is now taken online, with credit giving for watching videos and answering questions. The hands-on portion in the classroom was less than 2 hours.

Still, even a brief refresher is better than none. And I'm waaaaay more qualified than the people who take the new hands-only CPR/AED course for first responders who don't want to put their lips on patients.