Written by: Rei Pham, Miss Photogenic & Miss Ao Dai 2016
On the morning of June 23, 2016, I assisted in teaching the CPR/AED and First Aid course for the international camp counselors at YMCA San Diego County’s Camp Marston and Raintree Ranch in Julian, San Diego.
I used the instructional DVD provided by the American Safety and Health Institute to show class the correct way to approach emergency situations such as choking, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, wounds, and allergies for adults, children, and infants. After watching the video, I demonstrated the proper way to do CPR on a mannequin. All of the students had their own mannequin to practice on as well. Then, I used the tips and tricks I learned from the Sacramento Safety Training seminars to assist the training. For example, instead of using the back of a chair to push the food up while choking, a person could use the leg of a chair since it has a point which will help push the food up effectively.
The class ended with a test for both CPR/AED training as well as First Aid training. The test featured 20 multiple choice questions and all of the students passed, which means they are First Aid and CPR/AED certified and are ready to work as camp counselors for the summer.
Teaching a class was something that I had never done before. However, after assisting in the training, I now feel more comfortable speaking in front of a crowd. YMCA San Diego County’s Camp Marston and Raintree Ranch is an overnight summer camp that focuses on outdoor education and horseback riding. They serve children from ages 7 and from all different backgrounds. For more information, please visit Raintree Ranch: http://www.ymca.org/camp/raintree-ranch.html and Camp Marston:http://www.ymca.org/camp/camp-marston.html