Why Learn CPR or First Aid

Helping Until the Professionals Arrive

No one ever plans to have a disaster or accident. You need to be prepared because the unexpected can happen at any time.

Emergency services can take an average 3 to 5 minutes to respond to an emergency in the best of circumstances. Trained first aiders are needed to fill the initial gap since a life can be lost during that time. It is always saddest when simple life saving procedures could have made the difference. You may also find yourself in a situation where you are not near emergency services and response times are higher.

In times of disaster, emergency services can be overwhelmed by unusual levels of need. You may find the first aid skills you learn may be needed to fill a much longer gap than normally expected.

Helping the Bottom Line

Employers in southwestern Ontario are very conscientious about ongoing training at St. John Ambulance for their employees. Research has shown consistently that First Aid training is a powerful tool in injury reduction and avoidance.

A major, three phase industrial research project - FACTS (First Aid Community Training for Safety) was launched by St. John Ambulance, the Workers' Compensation Board of Ontario and the IAPA. The results were impressive:

FACT 1 - First Aid trained employees had 20% to 30% fewer accidents.

FACT 2 - Non-first aid trained workers had twice as many injuries.

FACT 3 - Severity of injuries was reduced by 50% among first aid trained employees.

Initially employers question if they can afford to train all of their employees. After calculating the direct and indirect cost of workplace injury the employer then must ask himself, "Can I afford NOT to train all of my employees?"

Helping the Community

Employers who choose SJA as their safety trainer make their community a better place to live. Their support of SJA training creates revenue for the southwestern Ontario branches and supports the community service volunteers.

It is very gratifying to know that you really give something back to your community when you enroll in a First Aid / CPR training program at St. John Ambulance. The community will benefit in many ways. First Aid training makes everyone more safety conscious and that contributes to a healthier, safer environment. Your training dollars supports the presence of St. John Ambulance volunteers in the community. Those volunteers make events in southwestern Ontario safer and add quality of life through their Brigade and Therapy Dog programs.