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Does anyone have any recommendations for a civilian first aid trainer? Just basic trauma care that may be needed by a civilian for immediate after conflict first aid until proper help arrives. Looking ideally for someone local to MN or neighboring states.

The Red Cross would be an option, as would most community colleges, and school district adult/ continuing education depts.

I've taken a trauma care course with QSI training. Doesn't look like they have anything scheduled in the near future though.

There is a place nearby in WI that I have not been to yet, but have been meaning to try.
http://www.resiliencedev.com

Looks like they have a course tomorrow!

Take an EMT course at a local school. I did and was very happy with the whole thing.


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xd ED wrote:The Red Cross would be an option, as would most community colleges, and school district adult/ continuing education depts.

+1 on the red cross.

Band Aids go sticky side down, there - now you are trained!

Holland&Holland wrote:

xd ED wrote:The Red Cross would be an option, as would most community colleges, and school district adult/ continuing education depts.

+1 on the red cross.

Agreed. Very basic first aid will prove much more useful to most people's lives than some extreme tactical gunshot wound/battlefield medicine class.

Having taken the Red Cross's basic course just this weekend, I would have to say it is pretty basic. Other than working on the CPR dummies, I felt that a better combo would have been self-study and spend the fee on a decent 1st Aid kit. But at least now I am Red Cross certified to follow the instructions on an AED...

As for more serious classes... how do you feel about visiting charming Wisconsin in February?
http://lonestarmedics.com/lsm-schedule/

Get your EMT then Paramedic if you really want to know more than the basics.

I am ACLS, PALS, TNCC certified, but ya gotta walk before you can run, and ya gotta crawl before you can walk.

With all the training I have received over the years, all I can say is: "You're gonna die."

Walking or driving down the street and running into a situation will call for very basic knowledge as equipment will be very basic if even available. Knowing the basics of what needs to be done by heart and having the imagination to use what is immediately on hand will be what one will depend on- not some "gee whizz" level of instruction and fancy dance med kit that is not likely to be at your side or maybe not even in your vehicle. This is no different than carrying a gun- if it is too big and/or heavy to carry all the time, you will leave it at home and not be at hand when needed. And like a gun, knowledge and training is more important than equipment. You can make something less than optimal work but the most appropriate tool is almost worthless to those with no training.

I've worked street level EMS for nearly 33 years and the reality is that a basic first aid course will get you through 90%+ of anything you will stumble across on the street. I tell new coworkers that we do not save lives, we just delay death until the patient gets to the hospital.

The ABCs of first aid are called that for a reason- if not done the patient will die quickly. Determining if the airway is open and how to open if not is vital and can be done with the tools you were born with. Bleeding- control of it through pressure by various means is something that can be needed and once again requires little in the way of equipment; basically something to be used as a bandage and your hands will do the trick. Circulation- Determining lack of pulse and breathing and knowing CPR is another action requiring only those tools you have always at hand. The only knowledge left is to teach when to move and how and when not to move a patient or part of the patient. This takes a short time as there is little need to move a patient before help arrives and if it is necessary, one does the best they can as the conditions are such that leaving the patient is more dangerous than moving them. And that leads to another topic taught in a basic course called scene safety. There are times when treatment of the patient has to be delayed as it is too dangerous for rescuers. It makes no sense to needlessly injure rescuers as that only delays efforts to help the victim. The last bit of knowledge is to recognize common medical emergencies and what to do to halt if not lessen their progression. Heart issues, stroke, environmental emergencies, and diabetic problems require no special tools or knowledge if noticed early. If later into the event, very few will have the tools and skills needed walking down the street or even in their car. One does not need a 144 hour EMT class nor a 9-24 month Paramedic course to learn this, a day long course with a couple hours "book work" followed by a few hours doing hands on scenarios will give you what you need.


There is a very significant difference in handling an emergency in the street and one in the hospital. In the first you are working with little and far too often poor/incorrect information in less than ideal conditions. You are also dealing with limited personnel and equipment as you are limited to what you carry on the truck and what you can carry to the scene. And this is from the point of the Police/Fire/Paramedics response, not the average Joe walking down the street. I've been "Johnny on the spot" for two small plane crashes, two tumbles from 40' or greater, several hypoglycemic issues, one full arrest, numerous lesser cardiac or stroke events, and countless traumatic scenes from falls on up to multiple motor vehicle collisions and never found my basic med kit consisting mostly of bandages, CPR mask, and nitrile gloves to be lacking. Providing I had the bag available. Other than maybe half the MVAs and one plane crash, all I had available was what I could scrounge or was born with. Lack of "proper" items in no way affected outcomes, at least not negatively. That someone could act immediately and effectively with a very basic tool and skill set did more to increase survival than some kit at home or off in some car.

NOLS has very good training on Wilderness First Aid.
Here is a class in Winona,
https://www.nols.edu/portal/wmi/courses/13166/
And many more and way more advanced in other states, $180 16hrs to $4850 26days
https://www.nols.edu/en/courses/course_ ... cine&sort=

I have been helping to teach Boy Scouts Adults Wilderness First Aid with an instructor who had the NOLS Wilderness First Responder, very good.
https://www.nols.edu/en/coursefinder/co ... onder-WFR/
One coming up in Hudson, 80hrs.