Shorty82 wrote:I didn't know there was AED training as they are designed to be used by somebody who has no medical training. I know the resorts have them scattered about but what about the parks? Alpaha units are never far away in the parks but even the little time it takes for them to arrive can be fatal so I would hope there are at least a few around in places easy accessable to any CM.
There isn't really a separate AED training class, they just cover it as standard course material in all CPR classes now (at least, Red Cross and American Heart Assoc. do it, though there could be other groups I don't know of who train CPR and leave out the AED). It's not like they devote a lot of time to it, either, in most of those classes, they just show you what it looks like, maybe demonstrate it and tell you to turn it on...it'll actually verbally tell you what to do from there. The only class I've ever used a mock one in was CPR for the Professional Rescuer which is the class EMTs, Lifeguards, Firefighters and Cops are required to take... come to think of it, probably doctors and nurses too, but they probably have their refresher courses done at their hospitals.
Last I looked (a couple of weeks ago) I believe the general location of many AED's is marked on maps of the parks. I also make a mental note of one whenever I physically see one. There are lots of people walking around the parks who are heart-attacks waiting to happen. You never know when being able to say "there's an AED around that corner on the wall, go get it for me!" to a bystander is going to save a life... And good for you for wanting to get certified! The low-level "Heart Saver CPR" (American Heart Assoc.) and "Basic CPR" (Red Cross) that will teach you everything you need to know in a pinch are generally pretty cheap (I'm not sure, but I think I recall them being about $30 in most places, but it does vary because the venue and instructor can both tack on fees). You should also hit up your work (you're a volunteer at the zoo, right? or am I tired and thinking of someone else...) they might either pay for you to get certified or even organize a class on site to get a bunch of their people certified. It's usually in their best interest to get people certified as, in a lot of businesses, it'll make their insurance cheaper!
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