National Capital First Aid

Wow! This is an interesting piece of history. At the height of the Spanish Flu Pandemic, an advertisement appeared in the Daily Gazette (October 1918) claiming gauze masks were 99% proof against influenza, and that anyone not wearing a mask was a dangerous slacker.

We have added 2 new courses on Friday, November 6th and 20th. You can join us on these days for all levels of blended first aid and CPR training.

It’s CPR month! I love this photo:) Any guesses as to who this belongs to? Share your guesses!

Is your youth ready for the responsibility of staying home alone? If so, our friends at Helping Hands First Aid will be hosting a Home Alone course!

WHY SHOULD YOU OFFER ON SITE FIRST AID TRAINING TO YOUR GROUP OR STAFF? Here are a few reasons why group first aid training offers you more bang for your buck! -Take advantage of our amazing group rates! Your staff can end up paying twice the amount when they book their classes individually.... -Group training provides an excellent opportunity for teambuilding. Our courses are fun, interactive and will provide an opportunity for your group to work together in an enjoyable atmosphere. -Everyone is on the same page as how to respond in an emergency because every participant will have received the same information. -We travel to your location and can tailor the training to meet the specific challenges your group faces in their work or play environments. -Your staff will appreciate the effort put forth to organize this training on their behalf. -You are demonstrating that your group / organization takes everyone's safety seriously! Good for you!! Contact us today for a quote. 613-523-2519

National Capital First Aid offers a wide selection of defibrillators. We will hand deliver the unit to your Ottawa or Gatineau location and walk your health and safety team through the functionalities of the unit. We carry French, English and bilingual models. Feel free to touch base if you would like assistance in choosing an appropriate model. Visit our online defibrillator shop.

Amazing read! This year is the 271st birthday of #EdwardJenner, pioneer of vaccination who has arguably saved more lives than anyone else in history. Here’s a post in his honour. (Photo of two children - one vaccinated against smallpox, the other not - from Dr Jenner's House, Museum and Garden.). Smallpox is one of the deadliest & most contagious diseases known to man. The virus killed over half a billion people in the twentieth century alonethree times the number of deaths... from all of the century’s wars combined. On 8 May 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the eradication of smallpox. This was an unprecedented event in history, signaling the first and only annihilation of a human disease. The victorywhich saved tens of millions of livesfulfilled the lifelong dream Edward Jenner, who first tested his vaccine on 14 May 1796. Jenner noticed that dairymaids who contracted cowpox never developed smallpox. Working from this, he developed a vaccine from cowpox. Indeed, the word vaccination, coined by Jenner in 1796, is derived from the Latin root vaccinus, meaning "of or from the cow. The prominent Scottish physician Sir Walter Farquhar advised Jenner that if he kept the nature of the vaccine a secret, it could yield him a nest egg of as much as 100,000. But Jenner nurtured no such ambitions. In 1798, he had a hut built in his garden & christened it the TEMPLE OF VACCINIA. It not only became a beacon of hope for the poor who sought protection against smallpox, but it was also the site of the first public health service in Britain. Though he never left his own country, Jenner became celebrated as a savior the world over. In a letter to Jenner, Thomas Jefferson wrote: mankind can never forget that you have lived. The concept of vaccination dates back much further than most people realize. You can visit Dr Jenner's House, Museum and Garden, and the Temple of Vaccinia today, Source: Dr Lindsey Fitzharris

We had such an amazing day with the Early Childhood Education students from Algonquin College. Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation. Best of luck in your future careers!

-November 12th via Zoom. -December 3rd and 17th in person. -In-home private courses and private zoom courses ongoing. For more information call 613-523-2519

Calling all Parents and Grandparents:

Join us via Zoom on October 22nd at 6 p.m!

Here is a great chart illustrating the difference between COVID-19, influenza, seasonal allergies and a cold. Source: WHO

When splinting, remember the acronym RICE. Rest, immobilize, cool, elevate. Fantastic splinting material can be found all around us. Even in the workplace!

If you are asymptomatic and would like to be tested for COVID-19, you will be able to do so as of Friday at many local pharmacies!

Learning some new skills with the team at Connexion Family Health.

We spent a fun morning at Apple's Elmvale Dental Clinic fine tuning our skills:)

These are the future stars of our healthcare system. Well done everyone!

Spaces still available on October 16th, 23rd and 31st!

Fantastic day with the staff at National Research Council of Canada. Thank you for your enthusiasm!

We had a ton of fun putting our skills to practice during yesterdays team challenge.

Lots of focus and teamwork in todays high-performance team CPR training. Well done everyone!

It is Suicide Prevention Day. Please reach out, help yourself & others. In Canada call 1-833-456-4566, or contact a crisis centre worldwide: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

I was out hiking yesterday when we came across a horrific accident. We were hiking in Gatineau Park and encountered 2 park staff who has lost control of their ATVs and gone over a cliff. Luckily, a physician was also out hiking as well as myself, a registered nurse and my hiking partner, also a first aid instructor. We all pitched in to help stabilize the injured and assist in getting them on to a spinal board and to safety. For me, this deeply emphasized the life and death importance of wearing a helmet! Had the park staff not been wearing their helmets, the outcome would have most definitely been much different. It also emphasized how important it is to be first aid trained and how lucky we all are at how by standards are so willing to stop and jump in to offer their help. Feeling blessed to have been able to help!

We had a fantastic weekend of BLS training equipping healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge required for a team approach to cardiac and respiratory arrest. Well done everyone!

Fantastic day with the staff at National Research Council of Canada. Thank you for your enthusiasm!

We are setting up for this mornings class and are ready to teach slings and splints with this contactless option:)

You are in good hands when visiting Appletree Medical Clinic! Their staff from across the city have been thoroughly trained on how to respond to medical emergencies including CPR. Well done team!

We had a ton of fun putting our skills to practice during yesterday‘s team challenge.

Thank you to everyone for your enthusiastic participation throughout the day! We had a lot of fun learning new skills:)

Our in class First Aid for Parents courses have resumed. Register for an upcoming class on our website!

The recall has expanded! The Public Health Agency of Canada warned Canadians to not eat, use, sell or serve any red, white, yellow and sweet yellow onions from Thomson International, or any products made with these onions.

Creating and applying a tourniquet is a relatively simple technique that can help control blood loss following a traumatic injury. Used for wounds occurring on the limbs, the device compresses the area around the injury to limit blood flow until the wound can be treated and closed. While tourniquets should only be used during serious medical emergencies, understanding how and why to apply a tourniquet to a wound can be a lifesaving measure.

Huge shout out to the medical sonographer students at the Canadian National Institute of Health for completing their BLS training with flying colours!

We had a great day learning new skills at Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre!

Please share! Join us on Friday August 28th for the Red Cross Babysitting course. Youth ages 11 to 15 are welcome. Participants will be set up at their own learning stations with dedicated training material, spaced 2 m apart. Offered at St Johns on Baseline.

*information is still evolving* Allergies, colds and the flu can all trigger asthma, which can lead to shortness of breath. COVID-19 is the only one that is associated to shortness of breath on its own. Attached is a fantastic symptoms chart that can be used to help identify what may be happening. (Sources: The world health organization, Centres for disease control and prevention, Allergy and asthma foundation of America.)

We have a few spots available for this summers Babysitting course which will be offered on Thursday, August 27th on Baseline Road. Youths age 12 to 15 years old are welcome!

Save this picture to your phone! This handy photo chart will help you identify different bug bites.

Such a fun day learning new skills and making new friends

A FEW INTERESTING FACTS: -1/3 of ticks carry Lyme disease but only 5% of bites result in an infection. -Lyme disease is only spread by the blacklegged tick (dear tick) -In general, to transmit Lyme disease a tick needs to be attached for at least 36 hours.... -Lyme disease lives in the intestinal track of the tick. When the tick is irritated it regurgitates and this is how with the disease is transmitted. Never twist a tick when removing it as this will irritate it, the tick then regurgitates and Lyme can be transmitted. See more

We have received many requests for BLS level training so we have added a class on Friday, August 7th. Register at: https://nationalcapitalfirstaid.com//standard-first-aid-b/

Gracefield camp staff and interns deep diving into their first aid skills! All set to take on their 2021 campers and community.

Keep a watchful eye open as you hike for giant hogweed and wild parsnip! If you see these plants, stay away from them. The sap of these plants are photo reactive, so it does react with the sunlight. It can cause intense burns right away or intense blistering. Also, if you get it in your eyes, it can cause blindness. If your skin comes in contact with the weeds, wash any affected areas immediately with soap and water. Keep any affected areas of skin out of direct sunlight and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Today we worked on creative ways of immobilizing and splinting injuries. Well done gentlemen!

We have resumed public training! Thank you to everyone for your enthusiastic participation throughout the day:)

We ran a few BLS courses today with these amazing groups of up and coming superstar healthcare professionals! Well done everyone:)

This is a photo of a family in 1918 wearing facemasks during the Spanish flu. Theyve even got the cat covered!

We offer a wide range of personal protective equipment including gloves, masks, disposable gowns, face shields and hand sanitizer. We are here to help secure the PPE you need to safely reopen your business. Please send us an email for a list of available products and prices [email protected]

Please comment below as to what these two objects are. This is a must know!

Here is a great overview of what type of mask to wear and when to wear it.

Keep an eye out for these plants this summer. Its oil causes an itchy, blistering rash after it touches your skin. What should you do if you come in contact with these plants? 1. apply a cream or ointment designed to reduce itching and blistering such as calamine. 2. take an oral anti-histamine to help relieve itching.... 3. If the rash is severe or on a sensitive part of the body such as the face or groin, see a healthcare provider. See more

I never thought of this! Fire departments have warned that people should not leave bottles of hand sanitizer in their vehicles as temperatures outside begin to rise as most hand sanitizers are alcohol-based, which makes them flammable.

There is still time to register for next Saturdays First Aid for Parents Class!