New Red Cross first aid app puts life-saving help on your phone

Topics: National, First Aid and CPR
September 12, 2013

Ottawa, September 12, 2013 – In advance of World First Aid Day on September 14, the Canadian Red Cross has launched a new first aid app to increase Canadians’ skills and confidence to intervene in health emergencies. Life-threatening injuries and emergencies can happen any time and anywhere, and the Red Cross wants Canadians to empower themselves to save lives.

“This app will allow Canadians to learn about what to do in multiple medical emergencies, from severe bleeding to broken bones to heart attacks,” says Don Marentette, national manager of first aid programs with the Canadian Red Cross. “Knowing how to recognize the signs of a medical emergency is not enough; people need to know what to do.”
According to recent polling on behalf of the Canadian Red Cross, nearly 40 per cent of Canadians say they’ve been in an emergency situation where they’ve had to perform first aid. Although more than two-thirds of Canadians say they can recognize the signs of a life-threatening health emergency, like choking or a heart attack, only half are confident in their skills to help.

The free app is available for Android, iPhone and iPad. It can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android by searching for “Canadian Red Cross”. It is also available on the Red Cross website at www.redcross.ca/apps. Users can sharpen their skills through interactive quizzes and videos, or access simple step-by-step advice to help them respond to an emergency.

“Although chock-full of useful information, the new app is still not a substitute for training,” adds Marentette. “The best way to be prepared for a medical emergency is still by taking a Red Cross first aid course, supplemented by this easy app in your pocket.”

The Canadian Red Cross is a leading provider of first aid and CPR programs and has been offering first aid and CPR training to Canadians for more than 50 years. For more information or to find a course near you, visit www.redcross.ca/findacourse

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