Does Council provide First-Aid/CPR training?
No.
Council staff are not trained in First Aid/CPR instruction. Please see
the list of Girl Scout-approved sponsoring organizations under
First-Aid/CPR Certifications.
First-Aid/CPR Certifications
Emergencies require prompt action and quick judgment. For many
activities, Girl Scouts recommends that at least one adult volunteer
certified in Adult and Pediatric/Child First Aid, CPR, and AED. For
that reason, if you have the opportunity to get trained in
council-approved first-aid/CPR, do it! You can take advantage of
first-aid/CPR training offered by chapters of the American Red Cross,
American Heart Association, National Safety Council, EMP America,
American Safety & Health Institute, Medic First Aid or SOLO
(Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities) or other sponsoring
organizations approved by council.
Caution: First-aid/CPR training that is available entirely
online does not satisfy Girl Scouts’ requirements. Such courses do not
offer enough opportunities to practice and receive feedback on your
technique. If you’re taking a course not offered by one of the
organizations listed in the previous paragraph, or any course that has
online components, you must get approval from the council prior to
enrolling in the course.
First-Aider Certification Requirements
General First
Aider
A general first-aider is an adult volunteer
who has taken Girl Scout-approved first-aid and CPR training that
includes specific instructions for adult and child CPR, as well as AED
(Automated External Defibrillator) training. There should be at least
one certified general first aider per troop/group. If, through the
American Red Cross, American Heart Association, National Safety
Council, EMP America, American Safety & Health Institute, Medic
First Aid or SOLO (Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities), you have
a chance to be fully trained in first-aid and CPR, doing so may make
your activity planning go a little more smoothly. The first aider
should not be the person coordinating the troop/group or service unit
activities or trips.
Advanced First Aider
An advanced first aider is an
adult with general first aid certification with additional health,
safety or emergency response expertise such as, for example, a
physician; physician’s assistant; nurse practitioner; registered
nurse; licensed practical nurse; paramedic; military medic; wilderness
training, certified lifeguard or emergency medical
technician(EMT).
The GSVSC
Safety Activity Checkpoints always tell you when a first-aider
needs to be present. Since activities can take place in a variety of
locations, the presence of a first-aider and the qualifications they
need are based on the remoteness and scope of the activity. For
example, if you take a two-mile hike in an area that has cell phone
reception and service along the entire route and EMS (Emergency
Medical Services) is no more than 30 minutes away at all times the
first-aider will not need to have knowledge of wilderness first aid.
If, on the other hand, you take the same two-mile hike in a more
remote area with no cell phone service and where EMS is more than 30
minutes away, the first-aider must have knowledge of wilderness first
aid (see the chart below).
Access to EMS Minimum Level
of First Aid Required & Level of First Aid Required
- Less than 30 minutes = General First Aid
- More than 30
minutes = Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder
(WFR)
Although a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is not required, it is
strongly recommended when traveling or hiking with groups in very
remote areas that are greater than 30 minutes or more from EMS.
It is important to understand the differences between a first-aid
course, and a wilderness rated course. Although standard first-aid
training provides basic incident response, wilderness-rated courses
include training on remote-assessment skills, as well as emergency
first-aid response, including evacuation techniques, to use when EMS
is not readily available.
Note: The presence of an advanced first-aider is required at
resident camps. For large events—200 people or more—there should be,
in addition to the general first aider(s) per troop/group, one
advanced first-aider for every 200 participants. The following
healthcare providers may also serve as advanced first-aiders for large
groups: physician; physician’s assistant; nurse practitioner;
registered nurse; licensed practical nurse; paramedic; military medic;
and emergency medical technician. The first aider cannot also be the
event coordinator/director or camp director.
