How much first aid should we know? And are classes necessary?
MINNEAPOLIS - February is American Heart Month. It comes only weeks after an NFL player Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a game.
He survived, with experts saying CPR was key in saving his life.
"Emergencies can happen, anywhere, any time," said Carrie Carlson-Guest, regional communications director for the American Red Cross. "People should know as much first aid as they can, but know what you're likely to use."
For parents, that could mean how to handle cuts, scrapes and bruises. If the children are in athletics, understanding how to help with sprains or breaks before seeking medical attention is important.
Melissa Laatsch works in an after-school program.
"I want to make sure that we know if like a child has a bee sting, we know how to use an EpiPen," Laatsch said.
Scott Salman has three kids and felt taking a class was needed.
"It was a pediatric first aid, CPR and the choking [assistance]," Salman said of what he wanted to learn.
Is first aid something people can learn online, or should they take a class?
"There's lots of ways to learn first aid, CPR, AED skills. So, you can start with, we have a free first aid app," said Carlson-Guest.
The American Red Cross First Aid app lists common emergencies and how to respond, from cardiac arrest to hypothermia. People can also take quizzes on the app to test their knowledge on how to respond to different scenarios. While helpful in a pinch, the app is merely a starting point.
"What we really want people to do is to take a class. That's going to give people the practice, the muscle memory," said Carlson-Guest.
Laatsch gets certified in first aid and CPR every two years by taking a class.
"I think taking the class helps you feel more comfortable being able to help someone and step in," she said.
In researching the most common first aid people are suggested to learn, these techniques came up often:
* CPR
* How to help a person who is choking, such as the Heimlich maneuver
* How to stop severe bleeding
* How to treatment someone in shock
* How to spot the signs of a stroke
Those and much more are taught in Red Cross first aid classes, and can be found in the app.
"We know that one in four people is likely to be in a situation where someone's going to need CPR. That's most likely going to be your friends, your family, your co-workers, and that's where we want to make sure that someone knows what to do," said Carlson-Guest. "Knowing just the basics can really make a difference."
It's also important to have a first aid kit, not just in your home but your car as well.
If you'd like to build your own first aid kit, the Red Cross created a list of items a family of four would need. Click here to learn more about first aid kits.
Click here to sign up for a Red Cross first aid class.
To find the app, search for "First Aid: American Red Cross" in your app store.
