Accidents occur and people who know first aid are needed everywhere.

NIU physical education instructor Orville Kersten said the university offers six American Red Cross certification first-aid classes and six non-certification classes. The classes teach students standard first aid and one man cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), he said.

Kersten said the main purpose for first-aid training is to save a life in emergency situations. A student can learn to treat for shock, control bleeding, and give artificial respiration (AR), he said.

Students knowing first aid helps everyone including themselves, Kersten said, adding he has helped a motorcycle accident victim and prevented trauma and drowning.

Another physical education instructor, Sidney McIntosh, said first aid teaches students to respond to emergencies, which steps to take and in which order. “This is viable when you have a family,” she said.

“People often hear ‘old wives tales’ in how to treat an injury when in fact the treatment is not true,” said Judith Carson, NIU assistant professor of physical education.

Carson said the certification class deals with the emphasis of performing successfully on skills test.

The class is required for some majors such as physical education, minors such as health education and jobs such as lifeguards, she said.

It is important for people to learn first aid because students will sometimes find themselves in emergency situations and will be able to keep calm and help, Carson said.

“It’s a preventative safety course in what to do after the fact,” said Kala Archer, a physical education instructor.

Learning first aid will make you safety-conscious, Carson said. “It is better to prevent accidents than deal with them after they occur.”

Although Carson teaches CPR, she said she has not had to use it.

Vecia Madden, first-aid student, said the reason she is taking the class is to help in life threatening situations.

“The teachers are very thorough in informing you of the necessity for first aid and then they equip you with knowledge to successfully practice it,” Madden said.

Sheryl Hennig, an elementary education major said she took the course because it is something useful and if ever in an emergency situation she will be prepared to help and not be a helpless bystander.