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First Aid & CPR Awareness
This course builds foundational awareness of life-saving emergency responses so you can act with confidence in a crisis. It is an educational resource only and is not a substitute for certified hands-on first-aid training.
Anyone who wants to understand emergency response principles and feel more prepared in a crisis, from parents and teachers to office workers and fitness enthusiasts.
Course content
Workbook & downloads
Put the course into practice — a printable workbook plus editable templates you can fill in and reuse.
Preview the workbook
This workbook is a companion to the First Aid & CPR Awareness course. Use it to reinforce your learning, build personal emergency plans, and audit your current preparedness. Remember: completing this workbook does not confer any certification — it is an educational tool only, and hands-on in-person training with an accredited provider remains essential for real competency.
The Emergency Action Framework
Practise applying the Check-Call-Care sequence and 911 communication skills to realistic scenarios.
Exercise: Scenario Walk-Through: Check, Call, Care
Read each scenario below and write your Check, Call, and Care actions for each one. There are no trick answers — the goal is to build the habit of running the three-step sequence before acting.
- Scenario A: You are in a coffee shop. A woman at the next table suddenly slumps forward, unresponsive. No one else seems to notice. What do you Check, then Call, then Care for?
- Scenario B: You arrive at a car accident on a rural road. The driver is unresponsive, the car engine is smoking, and fuel is visible on the road. Walk through Check — what do you do before approaching?
- Scenario C: A child at a birthday party stops responding during a game. Adults around you look frozen. What do you say and do in the first 60 seconds?
- Scenario D: You witness a colleague collapse in the office kitchen. You are alone. No AED is visible. Describe your first four actions in order.
Worksheet: My 911 Call Information Card
Complete this card and photograph it as a phone lock-screen image or laminate it and post it near your home's main phone. Filling it in before an emergency removes one cognitive load when stress is highest.
- Home street address (unit/apt number if applicable)
- Home cross street or nearest intersection
- Secondary address (cottage, workplace, frequent location)
- Names and ages of all household members
- Known medical conditions in the household (cardiac, epilepsy, severe allergies)
- Known medications (especially EpiPen, nitroglycerin, blood thinners)
- Nearest hospital emergency department name and address
- Nearest AED location (building, floor, cabinet description)
- Out-of-province or out-of-state emergency contact name and phone
Checklist: Bystander Readiness Self-Audit
- I know the three Emergency Action Steps (Check, Call, Care) and can recall them without prompting
- I know the exact street address of my home and can state it under stress
- I have identified the nearest AED to my home, workplace, and gym
- I have downloaded the PulsePoint AED app and confirmed AED locations near me
- I have reviewed my household members' medical conditions and allergy histories
- I have completed or enrolled in a certified hands-on first-aid and CPR course
- I have shared the 911 information card with everyone in my household
Hands-Only CPR Principles
Consolidate understanding of compression mechanics, cardiac arrest recognition, and the situations where CPR technique varies.
Exercise: Compression Quality Self-Assessment
After reviewing the compression mechanics lesson, answer these reflection questions honestly. The goal is to identify gaps in your understanding before you practice on a manikin.
- Without looking at your notes, write down the AHA target compression rate range (in beats per minute), target depth range (in inches and cm), and the maximum pause duration between compressions.
- In your own words, explain why full chest recoil between compressions matters physiologically. What happens to cardiac output if you lean on the chest?
- A friend tells you: 'I don't do CPR because I might hurt them.' How would you respond using the evidence from this course?
- List two songs you personally know that are approximately 100–120 BPM and could serve as a CPR compression-rate guide for you. Why does the song mnemonic work as a memory tool?
Worksheet: Cardiac Emergency Recognition Decision Tree
For each presenting sign, write whether it suggests Cardiac Arrest, Heart Attack, Fainting, or Requires More Information — and describe your immediate first response in one sentence.
- Presenting sign: Adult collapses suddenly, is unresponsive, not breathing — Classification and response
- Presenting sign: Conscious adult complains of crushing chest pain and left-arm ache, is sweating — Classification and response
- Presenting sign: Person slumps slowly in their chair, unresponsive for 20 seconds, then comes around confused — Classification and response
- Presenting sign: Unconscious person is making a loud gasping sound approximately once every 5 seconds — Classification and response (what is that sound?)
- Presenting sign: 8-year-old child found floating face-down in a pool, unresponsive — Classification and key technique difference from adult cardiac arrest
Checklist: CPR Knowledge Checklist — Before Your Next Certification
- I can state the correct adult compression rate (100–120 per minute) and depth (at least 2 inches / 5 cm)
- I understand that hands-only CPR is fully endorsed by the AHA for adult bystander response
- I can explain why children and infants require rescue breaths in addition to compressions
- I know the key difference between cardiac arrest (act immediately with CPR) and heart attack (call 911, keep calm, do not start CPR unless they lose consciousness)
- I understand that CPR does not restart the heart — it maintains circulation until defibrillation is available
- I have identified an accredited CPR/first-aid certification course near me and noted the date
- I know I need to rotate compressors every 2 minutes to maintain compression quality
AED Use and the Choking Response
Map the AED operation steps and choking response sequences so they are immediately accessible under stress.
Exercise: AED Location Mapping Exercise
Complete this exercise for each of the three locations you spend the most time in. The goal is to have a mental map before you need it.
- Location 1 (e.g., your home building or apartment complex): Where is the nearest AED? If you do not know, how will you find out within the next 48 hours?
- Location 2 (your workplace or most-visited public building): Locate the AED cabinet on a floor plan or by walking the building. Note the exact location and the cabinet access method (key, code, break-glass, open).
- Location 3 (gym, community centre, or frequently visited public space): Confirm AED location. Is it registered on PulsePoint? If not, note the steps to report it.
- For all three locations: are there any conditions — locked doors after hours, security access required — that would slow AED retrieval? What is your plan B?
Worksheet: Choking Response Quick-Reference Card
Fill in the correct response for each scenario. Keep a completed copy in your first-aid kit or photograph it for your phone.
- Adult severe choking — conscious: Step 1 (back blows) — how many, where to strike, body position
- Adult severe choking — conscious: Step 2 (abdominal thrusts) — fist placement, thrust direction
- Adult severe choking — becomes unconscious: transition action and what to do next
- Child (1 year to puberty) severe choking: note any technique differences from adult
- Infant (under 1 year) severe choking: technique to use INSTEAD of abdominal thrusts, and why
- Choking in pregnancy or obesity: modification to abdominal thrust technique
- After successful object clearance: recommended follow-up action for patient
Checklist: Emergency Response Equipment and Knowledge Check
- I can describe the four AED operation steps (Power On, Attach Pads, Analyse, Shock if advised) without notes
- I know that AEDs will not shock a person who does not need it — they analyse rhythm first
- I know to say 'Clear!' and visually confirm no contact before each analysis and each shock
- I know the difference between mild choking (encourage coughing) and severe choking (act with back blows and abdominal thrusts)
- I know that abdominal thrusts are NOT used on infants under 1 year — back blows and chest thrusts are used instead
- I know to call 911 and start CPR if a choking victim loses consciousness
- I know that epinephrine auto-injector is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis and have identified whether anyone in my household carries one
Wound Care and Emergency Preparedness
Apply wound-classification and bleeding-control knowledge and build a concrete household preparedness plan.
Exercise: Wound Triage Practice Scenarios
For each wound scenario, write the wound type, your immediate bleeding control approach, and whether the wound requires professional medical evaluation.
- Scenario: A child falls off a bicycle and has a 3 cm jagged laceration on their forearm that is bleeding steadily but controllably. The wound edges are about 0.7 cm apart. Classify, control, and advise.
- Scenario: An adult drives a nail through their hand with a nail gun. The nail has been removed. There is a small entry wound with minimal external bleeding but significant depth. Classify and advise — what do NOT do, and what do you do?
- Scenario: A hiker has severe bleeding from a thigh wound after falling on jagged rock. Direct pressure with a shirt for 5 minutes has not controlled the bleeding. What is the next intervention, and what must you note when you apply it?
- Scenario: 48 hours after a minor hand cut was cleaned and dressed at home, the person reports the wound is more red and warm, with slight yellow discharge. What are the warning signs present and what is the recommended action?
Worksheet: Household First-Aid Kit Audit
Go to your current first-aid kit (or the space where one should be) and complete this audit. Mark each item as Present/Expired/Missing. Add the date of your audit.
- Audit date
- Kit location in home
- Nitrile gloves — status and quantity
- CPR face shield or pocket mask — status
- Sterile gauze pads (4x4 inch) — status and quantity
- Rolled gauze / conforming bandage — status
- Assorted adhesive bandages — status
- Medical adhesive tape — status
- Triangular bandage with safety pins — status
- Wound closure strips (Steri-Strips) — status
- Antiseptic wipes — status
- Antibiotic ointment — status and expiry
- Saline wound wash — status
- Instant cold pack — status
- Scissors and tweezers — status
- Digital thermometer — status
- Space/emergency blanket — status
- Commercial tourniquet (CAT or SOFTT-W) — status
- Items to purchase or replace (list)
Checklist: Household Emergency Preparedness Action Plan
- My home address is posted visibly near the front door and saved as my phone lock-screen
- I have a stocked, unexpired first-aid kit in an accessible location known to all household members
- I have identified the nearest hospital emergency department and know the fastest route
- I have documented all household members' known medical conditions, allergies, and medications
- I have designated a primary household meeting point outside the home
- I have an out-of-province or out-of-state emergency contact whose number all household members know
- I have scheduled a certified hands-on first-aid and CPR refresher course within the next 12 months
- I have reviewed this workbook and course material with at least one other adult in my household
- I understand that this course is educational awareness only — I have enrolled in or am planning to complete an accredited in-person certification
Your Action Plan
- Within 48 hours: photograph your home address as your phone lock-screen image so it is instantly available when calling 911
- Within 48 hours: download the PulsePoint AED app and confirm the nearest AED location to your home and workplace
- This week: complete the Household First-Aid Kit Audit worksheet and purchase any missing or expired items
- This week: fill in the My 911 Call Information Card worksheet, photograph it, and share it with all household members
- This week: complete the Wound Triage Practice Scenarios exercise and review any answers you were uncertain about
- This month: walk your workplace and nearest public buildings to physically locate AED cabinets and note access methods
- This month: document all household medical conditions, known allergies, and prescription medications in one place
- This month: identify the next available certified first-aid and CPR course near you (Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, AHA) and register
- This quarter: complete an accredited hands-on first-aid and CPR certification — this is the single highest-value action you can take after this course
- Annually: restock your first-aid kit, review your household emergency plan, and complete a CPR refresher to maintain skill retention
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