People need to know what to do in an emergency before medical help

arrives. Since you may be faced with an emergency in your lifetime, it s

important that you know how to recognize an emergency and how to

respond. The intent of this course is to help people feel more confident

of their ability to act appropriately in the event of an emergency.

After you complete this course, we believe you will be able to-

. Identify ways to prevent injury and/or illness.

~ Recognize when an emergency has occurred.

~ Follow three emergency action steps in any emergency.

~ Provide basic care for injury and/or sudden illness until the victim can

receive professional medical help.

To help you achieve this goal, you will read information in this manua

view a series of video segments, and participate in a number of

learning activities designed to increase your knowledge and skills,

In addition, this course emphasizes the value of a safe and healthy

life-style. It attempts to alert you to behavior and situations that

contribute to your risk of injury and/or illness and to motivate you to

take precautions and make any necessary life-style changes.

This manual contains all the material you learn in class in a form you

can keep and refer to whenever you wish. Highlighted information and

material condensed in lists make it easy for you to identify the critical

points and to refresh your memory quickly. Photos, drawings, graphs,

and tables also present information in an easy-to-find form. Skill sheets

give step-by-step directions for performing the skills taught in the

course. Questionnaires provide a way for you to evaluate certain risks

in your life-style. Articles of varying lengths cover all the topics taught.

Features contain information that enhances the information in the

articles.

You may be taking this course not only because you feel a need to

learn what to do if faced with an emergency but because of a job

requirement specifying that you complete training and achieve a

specific level of competency on both skill and written evaluations. In

this case the American Red Cross provides a course completion

certificate. You will 10~ eligible to receive a certificate if you-

. Perform specific skills competently and demonstrate the ability to

make appropriate decisions for care.

~ Pass a final written exam with a score of 80 percent or higher.

If you do not have a requirement to achieve a specific level of

competency on both skill and written evaluations, you will not need a

course completion certificate. You will also not need to take the final

examination for a passing score.