A woman whose twin sister choked to death on a Para Transpo bus after the operator didn't know how to perform CPR is demanding first aid training be made mandatory for all drivers.

Galina Kamienski was getting a ride home on Para Transpo, Ottawa's door-to-door transit service for disabled transit users, last September when she lost consciousness, her sister Tania told CBC Ottawa.

Her family initially thought Galina had a heart attack, but they later found out she'd choked on a candy while in the vehicle. She died in hospital a few days after the incident, Tania Kamienski said.

Kamienski and the rest of her family were stunned when they found out the driver of the bus — someone who'd known her sister for three decades — didn't know what to do when he arrived at Galina's stop and found her unconscious in the vehicle.

"I assumed, because you were dealing with a vulnerable population...[drivers] would have first aid and CPR," said Kamienski.

"We were all shocked."

Training only voluntary

While the city offers first aid and CPR training to all city employees, the training is only voluntary for Ottawa's approximately 150 Para Transpo drivers, said Troy Charter, OC Transpo's assistant general manager.

First aid training is not mandatory for Para Transpo drivers, said Troy Charter, OC Transpo's assistant general manager. ((CBC))

Charter said OC Transpo has been in contact with the Kamienski family and are "actively promoting" the training to Para Transpo operators.

The organization is also working on creating a new first aid program for Para Transpo drivers with the help of Ottawa Paramedic Services, he said.

"It's still on a voluntary basis for [the drivers]. But we recognize this — even if it helps to save one life, it's something we should move forward with," said Charter.

There are special constables and supervisors, however, who are "trained first responders" with first aid and CP training, he added.

A spokesperson for Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), which operates Gatineau's transit system, said that — much like in Ottawa — the training is not mandatory, although some drivers have it.

'Has to be mandatory'

OC Transpo's commitment may not be enough for Tania Kamienski, however, even though she acknowledges that even a properly-trained driver might not have been able to save her sister's life.

"It has to be mandatory, it really does. It has to be for everybody. We're hoping it's going to be," she said.

"We're going to continue to push. We're not going away."