Five of my colleagues and I earned our certification as Emergency First Response Instructors yesterday. Our only certified instructor is leaving the school in June and we wanted to continue offering the Emergency First Response (EFR) training to our employees and students. We use the PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) courses and certification program. The courses are accredited by ILCOR (the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation) which includes the American Heart Association and other organizations around the world.
This is especially important to me as we introduced the TIS Adventure Program this year. Taking students out in the wilderness is a special responsibility, and I want to make sure we are doing all we can to keep our students and teachers safe. I’ve taken many courses of the years and they are invaluable in helping school employees respond in an efficient manner to injuries and emergencies. The following are points I am taking away from this course.
- I will use actual scenario photos from school for the Scene Assessment Skill #1.
- Using an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is a victim’s best hope of survival.
- I will print the “Cycle of Care” AB CABS diagram and laminate for all future classes I teach.
- Teenagers need to learn the “recovery” position as it is highly likely they will encounter passed out, drunk classmates in university.
- With CPR, the compressions (30) are much more important than the rescue breathing (2). The idea is to circulate blood with oxygen already dissolved in it.
- The latest recommendation for tourniquets is the squeeze all the way at the top of the arm pits and groin. You need to completely cut of the blood supply to the extremities.
- We should offer a nannie/caregiver/driver course in Russian language for our families. We can also offer a parents’ course.
- It is my goal to certify most of our local employees in the 2024-2025 school year. The security guards, groundscrew, and housekeepers may be the first people to encounter an injured student.
I would like to thank Rob Tate for bringing the PADI EFR training to TIS. The six of now trained as instructors will carry on his legacy at the school.
TIS Director's Blog 
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