Certified first responder
A certified first responder is a person who has completed forty to sixty hours of training in providing care for
medical emergencies. They have more skill than someone who is trained in
first aid but are not an
emergency medical technician.
The American Red Cross conducts a course titled "Emergency Response" which fits this definition.
History
The U.S. Department of Transportation recognized a gap between the typical eight hours training required for providing first aid and the 120 hours typical of an EMT-Basic program. Also, some rural communities could not afford the comprehensive training and highly experienced instructor required for a full EMT-Basic course.
In 1995 the D.O.T. issued a manual for an intermediate level of training called "First Responder." This training can be completed in forty to sixty hours. Importantly, this training can be conducted by an EMT-Basic with some field experience -- which is a resource available "in-house" for many volunteer fire departments who do not have the resources for full EMT training. The first responder training is intended to fill the gap between First Aid and EMT-Basic.
First Responder Skills and Limitations
Lifesaving skills in the first responder course include recognizing unsafe scenes and hazardous materials emergencies, protection from bloodborne pathogens, controlling bleeding, applying splints, conducting a primary life-saving patient assessment, in-line spinal stabilization and transport, emergency defibrillation, when to call for more advanced medical help, and the use of oxygen and airway adjuncts. However, a first responder does not have an EMT's skill at patient assessment and evaluation, nor responding to less common emergencies or providing transport using a gurney or stair chair. For example, first responders do not have enough training to work as paid employees on an ambulance crew.
A certified first responder can be seen either as an advanced first aid provider, or as a somewhat limited provider of emergency medical care.
Traditional First Responders
The first responder training is considered a bare minimum for emergency service workers who may be sent out in response to a call for help and is almost always required for professional firefighters.
The first responder level of emergency medical training is often required for police officers (in California, this training is referred to as "Title 22" after the law mandating such training).
Non Traditional First Responders
Many persons can be trained as first responders who would otherwise receive only an eight hour first aid class. Typically, these persons are selected for first responder training because they are either likely to be the first on the scene of a medical emergency, or because they work far from medical help. These non-traditional first responders include:
\n- lifeguards\n
- park rangers\n
- utility workers\n
- teachers, childcare workers and school bus drivers\n
- worker-volunteers in a large facility (industrial plant) or at a remote site (fish-packing plant, commercial vessel, oil rig)\n
- truck drivers\n
- security guards\n
- general aviation pilots and commercial flight attendants\n
First responder training is a cost-effective way to extend the reach of the emergency medical system, but not a substitute for EMT-Basic training for those employed to provide emergency medical services on a daily basis.
See also emergency medical technician emergency medical service and combat lifesaver.
