First Aid & CPR

[prettysocks]

How does your camp deal with First Aid & CPR?
Is it done during pre-camp?
Is it mandatory you have it before camp?
Is it thought of as an asset to getting the job, but not mandatory?
Do you ever use any of the First Aid knowledge?
(I think you should put what kind of camp you work at - medical specialty, outdoor specialty, indoor/outdoor, day/res, etc - Just so the info is related)

At my camp, having First Aid & CPR (Level C) (I don't know if Level C is a Canadian or international thing) is MANDATORY before you come to pre-camp. A few things are reviewed at camp, like how to do chest compressions on someone who's choking in a wheelchair.

We don't use A LOT of First Aid knowledge, but we would be the first people "on the scene" when someone, say, has a seizure, or falls and scrapes their knee. We would help someone with a seizure be safe, and often, in the case of a seizure lasting several hours, a counselor would just stay with the person the entire time (as opposed to a nurse, because they wouldn't be doing anything anyways). In the case of a cut or scrape, we wouldn't do much. Calm the kid down, apply pressure maybe, go get a nurse. In the case of a choking victim, it might be a counselor who saves the person completely. We only had one choking victim last summer, and it was another counselor and I who stood up and just about started chest compressions, while the nurses were sitting down, watching us (they got in deep poo-poo for that!).

And, lastly, I work at a camp for kids with mild to very-severe physical and sometimes mental disabilities. Some are medically fragile, but all have to be well enough to come to camp in the first place, so none are on oxygen or IV's. It's a residential camp, we sleep indoors, and we spend quite a bit of the day outside.

YOUR TURN!

[speedx5xracer]

Then only staff mandated to have any form of CPR or FA are the life guards, ropes staff and horsie staff. We are responsible for getting it prior to the date the kids arrive. Any one else fowards the injured to the infermary or trained staff.

[KiwiCRB]

We are provided with it before pre-camp. Since most, well all in previous years, of the staff comes from the area surrounding camp we just all meet at the girl scout council office. Staff hired after those trainings take some time out of pre-camp and do it then.
I've never had to use an serious first aid or CPR at camp before. If it's serious we take them to the nurse. Last summer in my groups I had a sprained ankle, a scorpion sting, and a pretty hard core migraine. All in all the staff had far more serious hospital visit injuries. Nearly every staff member had to go to the hospital or doctor at some point during camp I think... oops.

[Sparkes]

Is it done during pre-camp?
Is it mandatory you have it before camp?
Is it thought of as an asset to getting the job, but not mandatory?
Do you ever use any of the First Aid knowledge?

Hmm, the majority of people come to camp with First aid. Though, the lifeguards also do first aid training during pre-camp as a part of their training. I don't know if it is mandatory (as in the wouldn't hire you) but I think from a legal standpoint so many people have to have it. I think it difiently is an asset - I mean if something was ever to happen (and things happen) its always good to know there are a number of people who can respond. Can you imagine how bad it could be if something was to happen at the wall, on the opposite side of camp from the waterfront, and no one in the area had any first aid? Not so cool. I have not had to use first aid, and I hope I never have to!

[runrachrunn]

How does your camp deal with First Aid & CPR?
Is it done during pre-camp?
Is it mandatory you have it before camp?
Is it thought of as an asset to getting the job, but not mandatory?
Do you ever use any of the First Aid knowledge?

[COLOR="DarkOrange"][B]YOUR TURN!

I have had my FA + CPR C since I started working as a swim instructor, over 4 years ago. It wasn't covered during pre-camp at the day camp I worked at (although, if you had been trained previously you got a pay raise :D). It's definetly not mandatory at the day camp, however, head staff all have it, and a lot of the counselling staff do as well.

I use my first aid knowledge all the time (generally on my family, who have klutzy genes)... Nosebleeds, cuts/scrapes, etc.

Working as a lifeguard, I also do a lot of basic first aid. By the time I get to camp this summer I will also have had about 100 hours of basic paramedic training, so I think I'll be good for most things that would come up for a first responder.

[CAMPFRIEND]

All of our trainings for staff are done during the two weeks of staff training. All of our staff have first aid and CPR. Our staff use first aid every day..

[Campy Measius]

It's an asset to have during the hiring process. But not manditory, it is manditory however to have it before training session begins, and it's the counselors own responsibility to get it.

We use our first aid training regularly. We have a week of adults with special needs come and many of them take seziures, like your camp prettysocks.

A few years ago I was the "first aider" (the main counselor who was in charge of all the first aid stuff) and a camper jumped off the swing and broke his arm, my AD and I put a splint on it and my Director and I took him to the hospital. The doctor complimented us on what a nice splint it was ;) lol
Some counselors take it too far though and go to the first aider with campers who need bandaids for blisters... LOL I'm sure AshleyJane can relate, she was first aider for a few years too.

[Flukie]

How does your camp deal with First Aid & CPR? Is it done during pre-camp?Is it mandatory you have it before camp? Is it thought of as an asset to getting the job, but not mandatory? Do you ever use any of the First Aid knowledge?

This summer we are offer three trainings for first aid and CPR throughout the summer. The staff that don't have training will be offered it during pre-camp. The campers in "HELP!" will be taking it during Session 2. The CITs will be taking it during Session 5. We are offering Pediatric Medic First Aid through EMP America - the cost is $25 for two years of certification. We are looking at not charging staff (though I'm not sure if Council has figured that out...) so that everyone can be trained prior to the start of camp. It is definitely an asset to have though!

I use first aid all the time at camp - scrapes, nose bleeds, twisted ankles, etc. Very common injuries, very basic first aid.

[KiwiCRB]

We don't get charged for it because one of the ladies who works at the council is certified by the red cross to teach first aid and cpr certification classes.

[Flukie]

I and one of our ULs are both certified instructors for EMP America... However, the cost of the materials/certification is what the charge is... So we're working on that. I don't think we're going to have to charge, which would be FANTASTIC!

[prettysocks]

OT / NOT ANSWERING MY OWN QUESTION :)

Two years ago at the Guide camp, I was First Aider a few weeks (we took turns.. sort of). And MAN, the things kids do to themselves.. One girl sliced (deep cut) her finger on a LEAF.. and we went and looked at it later, and it was this huge leaf! It wasn't spikey like a cactus, the edge was just.. very sharp! Strange.

Another girl drank a travel-sized thing of Listerine (brand of mouthwash) because her mom told her it would kill you if you did that. A girl made fun of her, and she thought that to be a great reason to try and kill herself, I suppose. It didn't kill her, she just threw up for an hour in the latrine outside (gross).

Those are my First Aider stories.

At the camp I'm at now, I don't really have any good stories. We ship the sick ones off to the nurses to get better! Except the kid who was shoveling food in his mouth and started to choke and the nurses sat and watched!

[powers]

I'm always the first aider on guide camps, but for the kids it's only ever been minor cuts and bruises, except for one of our other leaders who always breaks something- ankle, wrist, rib, nose- we're having bets at sprinkg bank as to what she breaks next!

I think knowledge of first aid is really important and that it should be taught in schools so everyone can help someone. I was in a restaurant last year and a lady passed out and cracked her head open, only one waitress and myself did anything- a lot of people sat and stared and it really bothered me, so yeah, everyone should learn first aid and look after each other!

[YUrocks!]

First Aid & CPR C are requirements for a position with our organisation. You must have it before you can work, along with a police check.

[SWTexan]

Since we require all camp staff to have First Aid and CPR, we provide it at no cost to the staff during pre-camp training. In previous years, our pool manager supervised the training, but I'm a Red Cross instructor, so I train the staff myself. My staff uses first aid on a daily basis (either on the kids or themselves) and we train all of our staff (camp and pools) constantly on these skills. It even becomes a fun camp activity when I select kids to help me create scenarios to test the staff's reaction and skills.

[rockinsmiles]

CPR and First Aid have been part of our training as long as I've been a cit/counselor at my camp. However, this summer we have to get our certifications before hand. Lifeguard training will still be offered for those who need it, aka waterfront staff. We had a weird training last year, so I was uncertified in first aid (it ran out this summer) and our cpro training was pretty crappy as well.

The only "first aid" i've ever really dealt with have been cuts and blood noses. Oh and of course headaches and stomaches (drink more water!!!). And a camper who got stepped on by a horse. I do know there are more serious injuries that happen though, in that case we take them to the doctor (we have previous arrangments with a doctor in town) or i guess the hospital. I don't know if anyone has ever gone to the hospital resently.

[Gramma]

Every summer during staff training, we have a cpr/first aid day to update certifications and/or certify all staff members that aren't current. This way, each staff member has basic first aid and cpr training, and lifeguards have cpr for professional rescuer. In the past, we've had staff members with more extensive first aid backgrounds (EMT, etc.), which is always a bonus.

[tigerfan]

We're required to have first aid/CPR certification at my camp. Thankfully, the camp offers it free of charge to us throught a local Red Cross instructor who has come out to camp for years during staff training. Also, at the beginning of staff training, all the counselors who are there go through lifeguard training because our counselors are our lifeguards during swim time...we don't spend enough time in the water to justify hiring separate lifeguards.

[prettysocks]

How long does it take to train the staff lifeguarding? And how big is your staff? Anyone elses' camp train all staff in LG?

[runrachrunn]

By law, at least in ontario, the NLS course needs to be at least 40 hours, including dry and wet training. I don't know what it's like anywhere else.

[prettysocks]

See... that's what I was thinking.. which is a long time.. like.. the entire staff training, if you did SEVEN hours of it a day. So. maybe it's not "legal" staff training? Or it's wayyyy different where tigerfan is from. I was asking my campy friend about this, and she seemed to be on tigerfan's side..

Tigerfan, what is your lifeguarding training like? how long, what do you do, who teaches it, how many staff, etc. ?

[Mouse...]

We have CPR and First Aid during PreCamp. It usually takes about half a day, and we don't have to pay for it as it's required. When I was a CIT we went through Lifegaurd training however the director at the time taught it. I don't think it's ever been a part of staff training. I wonder if it was Community Water Safety that your staff goes through Tigerfan unless you spend a lot of time on Lifegaurd training, because getting everyone certified as a lifegaurd would take several days. Either way, they're good skills to have. :)

[Trees]

Actually, quite a lot of camps (usually small ones) train the whole staff in lifeguarding.

[tigerfan]

Trees is right...my camp is a small one (15-18 counselors). We spend the first 3 1/2 days of staff training either in the water or watching Red Cross videos; then we do CPR and first aide on other days. A local Red Cross lifeguarding instructor comes out to camp and we use our pool. Our staff training is 2 weeks long though, so we have plenty of time for the rest of training.

[Mouse...]

That's neat. I've never heard of a camp training their entire staff in lifegaurd training. It makes sense for a smaller camp though. Have you ever had problems with staff being unable to complete lifegaurd training? I know some people have trouble with the diving and the 500 meter swim. What happens in those cases?

[tigerfan]

Every so often someone doesn't pass the 500 yards. If that happens, they do other things during the rest of lifeguard training. When we have campers, they are either at the top of the water slide or they just hang out with campers in the pool. But, the program director sends out a letter encouraging people to start swimming before they get to camp...usually people do and usually everyone passes.

[rockinsmiles]

We have the weirdest lifeguard training I've heard of. This past summer it consisted of 2 mornings...that included cpro...in the past it has been like a 6 hour afternoon. After going through that we are then red cross certified lifeguards! Our pool lifeguards go through the 2 week training before the come to camp training, but those in our adventure program and daycamp only get those 2 mornings.