Be Prepared (CPR and First Aid)
An education in first aid and CPR is the most valuable item we can carry along with us on our outdoor outings, sojourns included. PA River Sojourns are renowned for complete and inclusive coverage of safety issues while on the river. Trips have numerous safety boaters, a safety committee, adequate gear such as first aid kits, barrier devices, and cell phones. But we all need to be prepared individually as well, because as in any outdoor activity, all circumstances can't be planned and accounted for. I recommend taking at the least a First Aid and CPR course. There are numerous types available at numerous locations in towns all across Pennsylvania. A quick web search for the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross or your local community center or college is a good start.

I renewed my CPR last night at Harrisburg Area Community College. The course was a Basic Life Support class that lasted five hours and covered infant, child and adult, as well as Automated External Defibrillator lessons. You can find shorter classes though that only cover adult and child for instance that may only last 1 or 2 hours.

And although a basic first aid class is grand, if you are going to be spending significant time in the outdoors, where help may not find you so easily, or arrive as quickly as if you were injured on a city street, I recommend a wilderness first aid or even wilderness first responder course. I'll be recertifying my WFR next weekend at West Virginia University where I have patronizd since I took my first WFR class there in 1999. And it's close to the folks so I can stop by for a visit. Check out SOLO online for more info on courses near you.
- posted by frank cetera @ 1:40 PM