There is a new normal now as we deal with face covering and social distancing during our CPR/AED and First Aid classes. Many people are wondering if we CAN teach a class and still be safe from COVID-19. As the State of Illinois has floated through the Phases, we’ve adhered to guidelines that are both […]
During a football team’s 2-hour practice in late August, the coach has defense running sprints without rest breaks for the last 20 minutes of practice. One of the players suddenly falls to the ground. He has extremely hot skin, is sweating, and appears disoriented. What would you do? This scenario can happen at any outdoor […]
One of the core values from our mission statement at Vital Education and Supply, Inc. reads: VES believes that the commitment to frequent and repetitive life-saving training strengthens the community and work force. The follow up statement reads: VES believes that the above statement cannot be true without continuous research, observance and improvement of medical […]
“Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.” This sage quote by ancient author, Saint Augustine, perfectly describes the mind-set of the American Heart Association’s guidelines for lay-rescuer tourniquet use in the last 10 years. Now, the 2010 guidelines are allowing tourniquet use to be part of the curriculum once more, in moderation, of course! Documented […]
I read a heartbreaking story today about a grandmother who was killed in a car crash trying to drive her bleeding grandson to the hospital. As a CPR and First Aid instructor and a semi-retired EMT, I have a lot of input and experience on the very topic of “When to Call an Ambulance”. There […]
A 12-year-old boy collapses at a basketball game from sudden cardiac arrest. The crowd swarms around him and someone starts CPR while someone calls 911. Ten steps away, an AED sits waiting and ready inside a shiney white metal cabinet hanging on the wall. No one thinks to grab it and the AED is never […]
Another 5 years has passed and the American Heart Association (AHA) is working hard to save more lives. The lay rescuer students I teach in class hate when the AHA changes things up for CPR. I try to assure them that the changes are minor in “the scope of the big picture”, but the lay […]
I’m a little late getting to my EMS Responder magazine from June 2010, but inside I found some wonderful information on Grant Writing. How many times do you try for them and find that your grant applications are getting denied? Whether you are looking for grant money for AED units or ALS monitors, or other […]