Wednesday, January 14, 2015

First Aid/CPR/AED Training Important For OHV Leaders and Trail Workers


As QWR celebrates our 5th year anniversary this month and our 25th year anniversary working with and for the BlueRibbon Coalition, we thought it was appropriate to kick off the celebration with a safety tip for all of us who enjoy the great outdoors on the vehicle of our choice.

This recommendation is not for the many First Aid/CPR/AED certified first and lay responders that already serve the OHV community in various capacities for which their service is greatly appreciated.

Rather, it is designed to encourage heads of households, club officers, trail bosses, and others in leadership roles to get First Aid, CPR, and AED training from the American Red Cross.  This training will help you stabilize an injured rider in the field until the emergency responders arrive on scene.

Just to emphasize how important we feel this issue is, I took the Adult/CPR/AED class yesterday.  It had been about 30 years since I took this course.  My classmates included teachers and fire fighters who were there to get certified or recertified.  It gave me the confidence now to better stabilize critical injuries until professional emergency medical personnel arrive on the scene.

It also gave me the knowledge to better utilize the first-aid supplies that I always carry during trail rides or work parties.  Learning these basic skills can save a life and should be considered an important element of your off-road experience.

To learn more about the American Red Cross training programs, please visit:

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