Emergency Medical Response

The primary purpose of the American Red Cross Responding to Emergencies: Comprehensive First Aid/CPR/AED program is to help students recognize and respond appropriately to cardiac, breathing and first aid emergencies. The courses in this program teach students the knowledge and skills needed to give immediate care to an injured or ill person and to decide whether advanced medical care is needed. 

This program is designed primarily for use in secondary schools, colleges, universities and other settings that require a curriculum of greater length than the American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED program. 

Program Length 

Course length varies depending on the course taught and inclusion of optional lessons. The core course, Responding to Emergencies Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED, is 30 hours. 

Program Objectives 

Before Giving Care/Checking an Injured or Ill Person 

  • Describe how to recognize an emergency. 

  • Identify how to reduce the risk of disease transmission when giving care. 

  • Explain how to activate and work with the emergency medical services (EMS) system. 

  • Understand and identify major body cavities, body systems and anatomical terms commonly used to refer to the body. 

  • Explain how to check a responsive and unresponsive person for life-threatening and non-life-threatening conditions. 

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of shock and describe how to minimize its effects. 

Before Giving Care/Checking an Injured or Ill Person 

  • Recognize the signs of a cardiac emergency. 

  • Identify the links in the Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Chain of Survival. 

  • Describe how to care for a heart attack. 

  • Recognize the signs of cardiac arrest, and demonstrate how to give CPR until emergency medical care arrives. 

  • Identify precautions to take when using an AED on a person in sudden cardiac arrest. 

  • Demonstrate how to use an AED. 

  • Demonstrate how to care for a person who is choking. 

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of a breathing emergency. 

First Aid 

  • Recognize life-threatening bleeding and demonstrate how to control it. 

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of various soft tissue and musculoskeletal injuries, and demonstrate how to care for them, including splinting. 

  • Identify signs and symptoms of head, neck or spinal injuries. 

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of injuries to the chest, abdomen and pelvis, and describe how to care for them. 

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of sudden illness – including poisoning; bites; stings; and substances such as stimulants, hallucinogens and opioids – and describe how to care for them. 

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of heat-related emergencies and cold-related emergencies, and describe how to care for them. 

  • Describe the care given to a person experiencing anaphylaxis. 

  • Demonstrate the use of an epinephrine auto-injector. 

  • Recognize the signs and symptoms of water-related emergencies. 

  • Describe unique considerations when in an emergency involving children, older adults, people with disabilities and people who do not speak your language. 

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