Hi everyone,
Emma here. Welcome to the Rescue Aides First Aid and Aquatic Training Ltd. Blog!
Moving forward, this Blog will host a variety of posts with interesting and exciting updates, answers to first aid and aquatic course-related FAQs, and some DYK-style posts that we think you may enjoy. We will also use this Blog to answer some of the fantastic questions that folks like you send our way! We get lots of great questions in our inboxes and while we are teaching courses, and we are happy to provide the answers. Be sure to look out for those posts in the future.
For this first post, however, I thought I’d just give you a bit of a rundown about who we are here at Rescue Aides, and what we are hoping to accomplish.
First things first, this is us.
Sebastien and I have many things in common, including our love of camping and a big bowl of ice cream. There are also some critical differences between us, though. For example, my favourite colour is blue and Sebastien’s is purple. Sebastien is a dog person who also loves cats, and I am a cat person who also loves dogs. Both of us are long-time lifeguards and swim instructors with a passion for making the world a safer place.
Sebastien and I first started talking about the potential of Rescue Aides sometime around the end of 2022.
As lifeguards, we know the importance of both first aid training AND understand the dangers associated with being on, in, and around the water. New Brunswick has a lot of natural bodies of water, many of which can be unpredictable. We want everyone to be safe while living in this gorgeous province, and that means everyone should know how to swim, and everyone should know basic first aid.
As people, we know that accidents can happen to anyone, anywhere, regardless of how careful and skilled you may be. Although the prevention of emergencies is always the goal, preparedness for emergencies is equally important. You just never know when having first aid and/or water rescue skills may save a life.
Rescue Aides was created to address a service gap that we identified in our province and across the Maritimes. There simply aren’t enough individuals or businesses that offer on-site first aid courses for clients, which means that to comply with provincial legislation, companies are requiring their staff to register for (and sometimes travel to) an off-site first aid course, outside of work hours.
There is also a shortage of swim instructors, lifeguards, and advanced aquatics instructors across Canada (and around the world). Some aquatic and recreation facilities have had to cut back on service hours because they don’t have the staff to keep pools open. Many facilities have yet to return to pre-COVID offerings for swim lessons, meaning that plenty of folks interested in learning to swim are unable to register for lessons. Ultimately, more people need to be trained as Assistant Lifeguards, Lifeguards, and Swim/Lifesaving Instructors, but getting this training – particularly in rural and remote communities – can be really tough.
That’s where we come in.
Sebastien and I want to help ensure that every facility can train their staff right on site, so we’ll come to you! As a bonus, we’ll bring all the equipment necessary to run the courses that you need (except the pool, of course). We will work with you and your team to determine the best course schedule for your crew, and we will ensure that all participants have the resources that they need to succeed. We also do private group bookings. Do you and your friends or family need to be trained in First Aid? If you can get a group together of 5 or more people, we can bring a course right to your own doorstep. This way, more people get trained in lifesaving skills, preparing them for action in unexpected emergencies.
That’s what we’re all about.
Thank you for joining us on this journey! Together, we can make the world a safer place to live, work, and play.
Until next time,
Emma
