In the last post, I outline three main areas that I was concentrating my new skills areas in: Home Preparedness, Outdoor Skills and Protection. Today I’m going to talk about another Home Preparedness skill that I’ll be working on in the 13-in-13 Challenge through 13Skills.com – First Aid.

It’s pretty evident why knowing some level of First Aid is important – sometimes you are the only one that can render life saving aid to a person and, if you know how to it properly, you could be the difference between life and death for that person. Fortunately, it’s usually not that dire of a situation. For the most part, the kinds of situations you are going to run into include cuts, scrapes, bumps on the head, sprains and broken bones. While usually not life threatening, the results of these kinds of injuries can be compounded by the lack of treatment. Improper treatment can also worsen the situation.

Training

Back when I was in Boy Scouts, I was CPR-certified and I was trained in Basic First Aid – enough to gain my merit badge and be able to perform as a BSA-certified lifeguard. Over the years, my skills have diminished. I still remember a lot of what I learned, but it’s been years since I have been quizzed on it. My plan is to attend a class or two to revitalize my skill set and get re-certified. I may even look into putting together a class for my workplace.

Measurable Goals

As usual, I will be using clearly defined, measurable goals to gauge my process and successful completion. With that thought in mind, I have identified the following goals for this skill set:

Sign-up for (or create at work) a CPR class by February 15, 2013

Sign-up for (or create at work) a First Aid class by February 28, 2013

Attend CPR class by June 30, 2013

Attend First Aid class by June 30, 2013

Acquire CPR certification at CPR class

Acquire First Aid certification at First Aid class

Build a First Aid Kit (FAK) for the house by June 30, 2013

Build a for each car by June 30, 2013

Build an Individual First Aid Kit (iFAK) for hiking/camping by July 15, 2013

These goals are pretty specific and will allow me to once again become proficient in CPR and First Aid. They will also ensure that I build up the necessary resources in my house, cars and outdoor gear so that I may address any situation that occurs. By (re)learning CPR and First Aid, I will feel more confident that I can handle any situation that I or my family encounters.

I will write about the classes as I attend them as well as review the kits that I put together. As a side note, I have been doing some reading on kits and there are a lot of good ones available online. I may start with a purchase of one of these and modify it as I deem necessary.

photo credit: Chrysaora via photopin cc