Attention people of Saanich and Westshore! We’re excited to announce a new classroom location at the Tillicum Mall to keep up with the growing demand for First Aid courses in Victoria. You can sign up for some of our courses at the at the new location, starting now! Our Tillicum classroom gives us a new central location in the for people who need to take First Aid in the Victoria area – closer to Westshore and Saanich for people who live further away from Downtown Victoria. It also offers a ton of convenience. You’ll have easy access to great food, coffee, and lots of free parking! This new c ..read more

Emergency Medical Responders provide basic emergency services, typically in rural and remote areas. In BC, all Emergency Medical Responders who respond to 911 calls must be licensed by the Emergency Medical Assistants Licensing Board (EMALB). Licensing is a separate process from your training course. Licensing Steps In order to become a licensed Emergency Medical Responer (EMR) in BC, you’ll need to both complete a recognized EMR training program and then go through the separate licensing exams (written & practical) and apply for your license. Register for a recognized Emergency Medical ..read more

As of March 31, 2021, there are no more extensions for recertification courses. The extended timelines previously shared have now all come to an end. All first aid certificate holders (Red Cross and WorkSafeBC) now need to recertify their first aid before it expires. If your certificate has expired, you will need to take the full course again. Red Cross First Aid Recertification In December 2020, the Canadian Red Cross shared that first aid participant-level certificate holders with certifications that expire between March 1, 2020 and March 1, 2021 could attend a recertification course until M ..read more

Due to COVID-19, there have been changes made to the first aid kit minimum requirements listed in WorkSafeBC guidelines, and updates made to the administration of first aid in the workplace for attendants. First aid kit requirements now include a number of earloop masks and face shields in the Basic, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 kits (G3.16). Our kits on our website have been updated to meet these new requirements. OFAA Protocol Update The OFAA protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic document has been updated again. This document outlines what protocols Occupational First Aid Attendants are enc ..read more

Did you know? The Canadian Red Cross is providing Preventing Disease Transmission Training and person protective equipment (PPE) to support frontline workers responding to COVID-19. This program is designed to provide frontline volunteers and staff with a supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) – including masks and gloves – and train them how to use it properly. The best part? This program is entirely funded by a grant from the Government of Canada, and is free for eligible organizations! What is covered in the Preventing Disease Transmission Training? The course, which takes approximat ..read more

NORTH VANCOUVER, BC – Many Canadians still aren’t wearing lifejackets near the water, and firefighters and police in North Vancouver are again urging people who spend time on the Capilano River to use lifejackets. A tragic fishing accident claimed the life of a man last week who was fishing with 3 other friends when a line got snagged. He took a couple steps in to the river in an attempt to untangle the fishing line. He slipped, and was swept downstream. One of his friends jumped in to help, but also ended up in trouble in the water. It took a group of about 6 people about 10 minutes to get hi ..read more

Back in July, a Surrey teen was rushed to the hospital after collapsing at the gym. He had unexpectedly gone into cardiac arrest, and likely would not have survived if the lifeguards of the adjoining pool hadn’t rushed in, used an automated external defibrillator (AED) on him, and then performed CPR. You can read more about this story on CTV News. His family is now calling for AEDs to be available in schools. The provincial government doesn’t currently require schools to have AEDs onsite, although BC’s provincial health officer does support the installation of AEDs in schools where there are ..read more

Here are the ten most frequently asked questions in a first aid course. You will be surprised! Can I be sued for doing first aid? The short answer is yes, you can be sued for doing first aid on someone. However, the likelihood of that happening is very low. In British Columbia, we have the Good Samaritan Act. There are similar acts in every province, but I will speak to the one in BC as that is where we do most of our first aid training. Basically, the Good Samaritan Act says that, if you do your best to help a person, no harm will come to you. The Good Samaritan Act prevents people from th ..read more

Unlike first aid courses, First Aid kits have not changed much over the last 20 years in Canada. Typically if a person wanted a first aid kit they had 3 different options: First Aid kit in a Plastic Box First Aid kit in a metal box First Aid kit in a nylon bag First Aid Kits in Boxes Wall-mounted metal first aid kit. The first aid kit in a metal box and plastic box are basically the same and have the same properties. They are very common in workplaces because they are durable, dirt and water resistant and wall mountable. Having a first aid kit that can mount on to a wall is a great advantage ..read more

On Monday, Colin Dowler of Campbell River, BC managed to fend off a grizzly bear north of Powell River. He stabbed the grizzly bear in the neck with his pocket knife, cut off his sleeve to make a tourniquet for his leg and crawled to his bike. After cycling seven kilometres, with organs exposed and bleeding heavily from his femoral artery, Dowler collapsed at a logging camp. Five loggers performed first aid, and an air ambulance took him to Vancouver General Hospital. He was treated for puncture wounds and deep cuts, and required surgery for damage to his femoral artery. Some of the lesser inj ..read more