I was a technical dispatcher (office job) crosstrained as warehouse manager crosstrained as entry-level installer (hanging boxes & toning cable back to the MPOP) for the phone company for a number of years (on a gov't contract - industrial/office locations, not residential) and we got our entire crew trained in Basic First Aid & CPR.
This led to one of my favorite memories. As the Vice-Pres was crossing our office turf between the conference room and the restroom, he was treated to this conversation between myself (vertically challenged at 5'2") & Victor, an (6'4") engineer who is my all-time favorite teasing target.
B: Vic, why all the bruises around your lips?
V: I don't know, I just couldn't quite get the hang of the CPR with that doll, you know - Resusi-Annie. I tried and tried and tried and I'm exhausted.
B: Well, Vittorio, don't you know you're supposed to just learn how to save her life, not develop a full-blown, long-term relationship with her?
Mr. C, Vice Pres., burst out laughing and said, "Now this is one office where I'd love to be a fly on the wall!"
Scotts: Two days after I did a requal on my Basic First Aid & CPR I was cruising along on a mountain road and encountered the sheerest layer of black ice. My truck was doing its best figure skating performance, the spin took me between two reflector posts and onto the grassy slope leading down to a ravine. I felt the resistance between tires and grass and figured I'd have a window full of EARTH any second, I started mentally running through my First Aid "ABC's", Airway, Breathing, Circulation.... BLOOD... and it'll be MY BLOOD. How will I handle seeing my OWN blood. Be calm. Don't panic... etc. My point: The lessons themselves came back loud and clear and probably helped me think about what to do - turned the wheel, got pointed perpendicular to the hill and stood on the brakes (not always the right move) until the back tire found a large partially buried smooth rock and stopped on it. Made me really think about handling medical emergencies in the heat of crisis!
