First Aid, CPR, and Officer Wellness
Core concepts
First aid begins with scene safety and body substance isolation. Assess responsiveness, breathing, and circulation; summon EMS early. For adult cardiac arrest, start high-quality CPR at 30 compressions to 2 breaths, 100-120 compressions per minute, and use an AED as soon as available. Control severe bleeding with direct pressure and a tourniquet when needed. Treat shock by keeping the person warm and lying flat; do not remove impaled objects. Know naloxone for opioid overdose and the recovery position for breathing but unresponsive persons. Document care and transfer. Officer wellness includes sleep, fitness, nutrition, critical-incident stress, peer support, and seeking help early.
Traps
Questions often test compression rate and ratio, or whether to check a pulse as a lay rescuer. Do not delay compressions to search for a pulse if untrained. Do not move a person unless there is danger. Do not remove an impaled object. Do not ignore your own exposure or stress injury.
Worked example
A person collapses and is unresponsive with no normal breathing. You direct someone to call EMS and get an AED, begin 30:2 compressions, and apply the AED when it arrives. Rule of thumb: push hard, push fast, and let the AED talk.