What Does it Take to be a Certified First Responder?

Well they are the first on the scene in a medical emergency. For example mall security guard may encounter a woman giving birth, a stabbing victim, or a man having a heart attack in the parking lot. The guard's job as a first responder is to be able to assess the patient's condition and deliver first aid. This can mean delivering the baby, stopping bleeding or performing CPR or using a defibrillator.

 A certified first responder should also be able to stabilize a broken bone. If a spinal injury is suspected the first responder knows how to protect the spine from further injury.

What Does it Take to be a Certified First Responder?
Have a chat with the teachers at your local community college. For example if you live in Monroe, New York the Monroe Community College of the State University of New York has a course called EMS First Responder. It is intended for non-ambulance professionals who might be the first to arrive on a medical emergency scene. Students will learn patient assessment, CPR review, shock and wound management, full-body immobilization, It includes 24 hours of classroom instruction and 19 hours of field work. After you complete this course you are allowed to sit for the New York State Department of Health Certified First Responder certification exam. The course is offered three times a year.

This is very typical of what I've found for most first responder classes. So your first call should be to your local community college.

First responder can be a confusing term. While it can refer to the entry level medical responder who stabilizes a situation in anticipation of EMTs or paramedics arriving, it can also refer to the training that fire and police personnel receive for very complex situations. You'll also see emergency room doctors and other highly trained medical professionals participating. These are often held by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security or The National Fire Protection Agency. These first responder courses involve advanced coursework on difficult rescues such as from rubble or sinking airplanes or the handling of very toxic or flammable materials. The certified first responder certification is really the first step in this process.