Which First Aid Course Is Right For You?

Choosing the right first aid course can be daunting if you've never taken the training before and you want to make sure you get the proper certification. Different courses meet different WSIB provincial regulations, contain different levels of CPR training, and are required for different professions. In this post we will cover the two main types of first aid training; Standard First Aid vs Emergency First Aid, as well as the different levels of CPR; CPR‐A, CPR‐C, and BLS. 

Standard First Aid Training

This is the most common level of first aid certification as it meets most requirements the province puts forth as well as most workplace safety regulations. The Standard First Aid program we offer is through the Canadian Red Cross and it covers both life‐threatening and non‐life‐threatening situations. This includes cardio pulmonary resuscitation, choking, poisoning, anaphylaxis, and more. Rural Rescue offers this training in both the two‐day in‐class training version and the Blended version. The Blended version of this course is 7.5 hours of self‐study completed online at home and one full day of in‐class training. In Ontario under WSIB if a workplace has 6 or more employees per shift per floor one of them must have a Standard First Aid certification.

Standard First Aid Training is normally paired with CPR‐C which is how to perform CPR on adults, infants, and children. This level of CPR is the typical requirement for most workplaces and is the level we offer through our public courses as well. To meet the needs of more participants, Rural Rescue offers an upgrade to the BLS (Basic Life Support) CPR for all participants taking the Standard First Aid Course. The BLS level of CPR, formerly known as Healthcare Provider, it covers CPR for adults, infants, and children as well as training for a variety of emergent situations. Alternatively Rural Rescue offers Standard First Aid with CPR‐A by request only. CPR‐A covers training on how to perform CPR on adults only.

Some workplaces that require Standard First Aid Training are: Daycare workers, RMT's, Early Childhood Educators, Police officers, firefighters, Ski Patrol, PSW's, Babysitters, Pharmacists, Fieldworkers, Industrial workers.

Emergency First Aid CPR & AED Training

The Canadian Red Cross Emergency First Aid course is a single‐day training course that focuses more on life‐threatening injuries. This training meets most provincial and workplace regulations. In Ontario WSIB dictates that workplaces with 5 or less employees per shift per floor must have one person certified with Emergency First Aid CPR & AED. 

Emergency First Aid CPR & AED is typically coupled with CPR‐C training but is also available with BLS and CPR‐A on request based on your individual or workplace needs.

Some workplaces that require Emergency First Aid Training are Camp Councilors, Lab Technicians, Designated First Aiders, Child and Youth Workers, Coaches, Instructors, Government Workers, Security Guards.