01
First-Aid Principles and Community Readiness
Role and limits · Consent and dignity · Good Samaritan principles · First-aid kit · Personal safety · Infection prevention · Community preparedness
4h
Four-hour moduleFocused live online learning
CNE
4 ISECN CNE HoursAwarded on successful completion
112
Community-first responseProtect, assess, alert and assist
Module introduction
Confident first aid for Indian homes and communities
In many emergencies, family members, neighbours, teachers, workers, volunteers and bystanders provide the first help. Correct actions during these early minutes can protect life, prevent further injury and connect the person to definitive care. This module develops a simple, systematic approach to scene safety, rapid assessment, activation of India’s emergency response system, immediate first aid and safe handover. Learning uses realistic Indian scenarios such as road crashes, falls, burns, sudden illness, poisoning, snakebite, drowning, electrical injury and emergencies in rural or resource-variable settings. The focus is on safe actions within the responder’s competence, respectful care, early escalation and avoiding harmful or unproven practices.
Learning objectives
By the end of this module, participants will be able to:
- Explain the purpose, limits and priorities of first aid and the community responder’s role in the chain of survival.
- Check scene safety, identify hazards, use available protective measures and prevent additional casualties.
- Activate ERSS-112 or locally available emergency services and communicate the location, incident and patient condition clearly.
- Perform a rapid primary assessment, recognise immediate threats to life and reassess until help arrives.
- Provide safe first aid for an unresponsive person, airway obstruction and breathing difficulty within current guidance.
- Begin high-quality CPR and use an AED when indicated, while coordinating bystanders and emergency activation.
- Control life-threatening external bleeding, care for wounds and recognise shock requiring urgent transfer.
- Provide immediate care for suspected fractures, sprains, head or spinal injury, burns and electrical injury.
- Recognise and respond to chest pain, stroke, seizure, hypoglycaemia, anaphylaxis, poisoning and other sudden illness.
- Apply safe first-aid principles for snakebite, bites and stings, heat illness, drowning and other environmental emergencies.
- Adapt first aid for children, pregnant people, older adults and people with disability or communication needs.
- Provide calm reassurance, obtain consent when possible, protect dignity and deliver a concise handover to responders.
What you will learn
Ten essential community first-aid learning areas
Each area connects recognition with safe immediate action, early emergency activation and appropriate referral in Indian community settings.
02
Scene Safety and Emergency Activation
Hazard check · Road and electrical safety · Fire and crowd risks · PPE · ERSS-112 · Location information · Bystander coordination · Safe referral
03
Rapid Assessment and Ongoing Care
Responsiveness · Airway · Breathing · Circulation · Disability · Exposure · Life-threatening findings · Recovery position · Reassessment
04
Airway, Choking, CPR and AED
Unresponsive person · Airway positioning · Choking response · Adult and child CPR principles · AED use · Team response · Emergency handover
05
Bleeding, Wounds and Shock
Direct pressure · Wound packing · Tourniquet principles · Amputation care · Nosebleed · Shock recognition · Temperature protection · Urgent transport
06
Injuries, Fractures and Burns
Falls and road crashes · Head and spinal concerns · Fractures and sprains · Safe movement · Thermal and chemical burns · Electrical injury
07
Sudden Medical Emergencies
Chest pain · Stroke · Seizure · Fainting · Hypoglycaemia · Breathing difficulty · Anaphylaxis · Fever · Red flags requiring urgent escalation
08
Poisoning, Bites and Stings
Poisoning scene safety · Exposure information · Do-not-do actions · Snakebite immobilisation · Animal bites · Insect stings · Rabies-risk referral
09
Environmental and Public-Space Emergencies
Heat illness · Dehydration · Drowning safety · Lightning · Mass gatherings · Rural access challenges · Disaster-related first aid · Safe evacuation
10
Special Populations, Handover and Simulation
Children · Pregnancy · Older adults · Disability · Psychological first aid · Clear communication · Structured handover · Indian community scenarios
Study materials
Ten authoritative online resources
Official international and Indian resources for community first aid, emergency activation and safe early response.
- WHO Community First Aid Response ↗Practical and systematic first aid for community responders linked to the health system
- WHO–ICRC Basic Emergency Care Course ↗Systematic first-contact assessment and management of acute illness and injury
- WHO Emergency Care Toolkit ↗ABCD-based tools, referral resources and practical emergency-care guidance
- IFRC International First Aid Guidelines 2025 ↗Current evidence base for first aid, resuscitation and first-aid education
- Indian Red Cross First Aid Programme ↗India-focused first-aid training, course content and community capacity building
- India Emergency Response Support System — 112 ↗Government of India information on the pan-India emergency response platform
- India Good Samaritan Protection Rules ↗Government information on protections for people assisting road-accident victims
- AHA and American Red Cross First Aid Guidelines ↗Evidence-based guidance for common medical and injury emergencies
- AHA 2025 CPR and ECC Guidelines ↗Current resuscitation science, choking response and chain-of-survival guidance
- WHO Snakebite First Aid and Treatment ↗Safe first aid, immobilisation, rapid transport and harmful practices to avoid
Important: This educational module does not replace certified hands-on first-aid or BLS training, local protocols or professional medical advice. Responders should protect their own safety, act within their competence, activate ERSS-112 or locally available emergency services early, avoid unproven practices and hand over promptly.
Module 6 · Live online session
Community Emergency Care (First Aid)
DateTo be announced
Time4:00 PM–8:00 PM IST