First Aid Basics

Introduction & Assessment

You're starting your First Aid Basics journey! In this step, you'll explore what emergency response actually looks like before anyone gets hurt. Download the free **American Red Cross First Aid app** (iOS/Android) and browse the "Emergencies" section — notice how it breaks every situation into calm, numbered steps. Watch the Red Cross's free "When to Call 911" video on YouTube. Think about the last time you saw someone get hurt or felt panicked — what did you wish you knew? Write down three situations you want to feel ready for. You're ready for the next step when you can name three common emergencies the Red Cross app covers and explain why staying calm matters more than acting fast.

Foundation Building

Now you'll build the foundation every first responder leans on: scene safety and the primary survey. Before you touch anyone who's hurt, you check *yourself* first — is it safe to approach? Next comes the ABCs: Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Practice this order on a willing friend or family member in a calm setting. Use the Red Cross First Aid app's "Check, Call, Care" walkthrough as your guide. Intermountain Healthcare also offers free community CPR awareness sessions in the Salt Lake Valley — look up their schedule at **intermountainhealthcare.org**. You're ready for the next step when you can walk through Check-Call-Care from memory without looking at the app.

Skill Development

Time to get your hands involved. This week you'll practice the two skills that save the most lives: **hands-only CPR** and controlling bleeding. Find a CPR training manikin at a local Red Cross chapter or borrow one from your school or community center. For bleeding, use a clean cloth and practice applying firm, steady pressure on your own forearm — no wound needed, just feel what "firm" means. Watch the Red Cross YouTube channel's "Hands-Only CPR" video (free, under 2 minutes). Repeat the chest-compression rhythm — 100–120 beats per minute — to the beat of "Stayin' Alive." You're ready for the next step when you can maintain correct CPR compression depth and rate for a full 60 seconds.

Practice & Refinement

Now you'll practice with realistic scenarios. Set a timer and run through three drills: (1) someone chokes at dinner — perform the Heimlich maneuver on a chair back, (2) a friend collapses — start hands-only CPR, and (3) a cut won't stop bleeding — apply a pressure bandage. Use the Red Cross First Aid app's scenario quizzes to check your decisions after each drill. Ask a family member to play the "patient" so you get used to talking calmly while working. Intermountain Healthcare's **Healthy Beginnings** blog has a free printable emergency contact card — post it on your fridge. You're ready for the next step when you complete all three drills in under 5 minutes with correct technique.

Challenge Mode

Challenge mode means handling the unexpected. This week, have someone else set the scenario without telling you in advance — you respond cold, just like a real emergency. Add two harder situations: an allergic reaction (recognize signs of anaphylaxis and know to call 911 + use an epinephrine auto-injector if available) and a broken bone (immobilize, don't straighten). Time yourself and note where you hesitate. The Red Cross offers a free online "Disaster Preparedness" course at **redcross.org/take-a-class** — complete at least one module. You're ready for the next step when you can respond to an unknown scenario with correct prioritization and zero skipped steps.

Mastery Demonstration

You've learned it — now prove it by teaching someone else. Choose a person who doesn't know first aid (a sibling, neighbor, or teammate) and walk them through Check-Call-Care, hands-only CPR, and bleeding control in one 20-minute session. Use the Red Cross app as your visual aid. Bonus: build a small first aid kit together using the Red Cross's recommended supply list and keep it somewhere accessible at home. Share what you built in the SLCTrips community so others can learn from your experience. You're ready for the next step when your student can correctly demonstrate hands-only CPR and explain Check-Call-Care without your prompting.