Calgary and Edmonton Fire Applications Opening in 2022 and 2023!

Are you looking to change careers and apply with Calgary Fire or Edmonton Fire? Calgary Fire opened their recruitment on November 1, 2022 and it closes on November 30, 2022! Edmonton Fire will be opening their recruitment process from January 1-31, 2023.

If you haven’t taken Advanced First Aid (AFA) within the last 3 years, you will need to certify in an AFA course prior to a conditional job offer from either fire department. Here at Delta Emergency Support Training, we certify you as a Canadian Red Cross Advanced First Aider with Basic Life Support (BLS CPR) in one course.

Our AFA course is a hybrid version, perfect for individuals with full-time jobs, families, or busy schedules. There are 40 hours of online virtual sessions/online work to complete, and 40 hours of in-person skill days.

We typically run an AFA Cohort over the course of 4-6 weeks, and you attend 2 Friday nights and 2 weekends with our full-time active duty Advanced Care Paramedic instructors. We have real experience, real equipment, and exceptional student feedback.

Be one of our next students and become a Professional Responder.

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Calgary Fire: Do you meet the minimum requirements to apply?

• Be 18 years of age or older

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

• Have a high school diploma or equivalency

• Have a valid Class 5 driver's license or provincial/territorial equivalent without a Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) status and with less than 7 demerit points

• Have been granted a pardon or record suspension for any criminal convictions.

• Meet all immunization requirements

• Have a maximum of one illegal soft drug use in the past year and a maximum of three illegal soft drug uses in the past 3 years. Candidates must have had zero hard drug use in the past three years.

Edmonton Fire: Do you meet the minimum requirements to apply?

• Applicant must be at least 18 years of age

• Applicant embraces and actively promotes the behaviour and values of an inclusive, diverse and respectful work environment.

• It is a requirement to obtain and maintain a City Driver's permit.

• An overall satisfactory driver's record is required upon hire.

• Hire is dependent upon a satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Police Information Check.

• Good physical fitness is required and is evaluated at the fitness test stage.

• Ability to understand and communicate clearly and concisely in English under stressful conditions.

Delta Emergency Hybrid Red Cross Advanced First Aid

Delta Emergency Canadian Red Cross Hybrid Advanced First Aid

We started teaching this new version of Hybrid Advanced First Aid in June 2021. Every student has rated our program with 5 stars and they all recommend it to their peers. 60 hours of at home learning and 24 hours in-class over 1 Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Certify as an Advanced First Aider through online content such as videos, skill sheets, quizzes, written group discussions, 1:1 video instructor video sessions, weekly workbooks - more than multiple choice questions, games and repeatable tests to test your comprehension.  Real instructors with real emergency experience. Skill sessions that deliver quality scenarios. Group scenarios to develop real world teamwork. We’re a smaller business of like-minded emergency professionals and we’re not listed on Google, yet.

Traditional Canadian Red Cross Advanced First Aid

What does 80 hours in the classroom look like? Sitting in a classroom for 10 days straight. Taking vacation days or quitting your job. Past Red Cross Advanced First Aid students with other providers have let us know they feel they're being kept in class just to hit that 80 hour requirement and feel the in-person course is too long. The other downside is that the first 5-6 hours of each day are focused on the didactic training and PowerPoint, then you practice 1 or 2 skills at the end of the day. Traditional classroom works for some people. We are here to accommodate the people that need a true Hybrid Learning Format with 1 weekend of in-person skills.

1. Friday Night Session

   • Here's how Friday looks:

     • Arrive at weekend training facility. Give an overview of classroom setup. Student and instructor introductions.

     • Review quizzes, exams, answer questions from online course. Jeopardy style game for course content review.

     • Review any skills sheets that were unclear. Speak about skill indications + contraindications.

     • Practice taking vital signs - pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, lung sounds, SpO2, etc.

     • Discuss Week 3 verbal scenario, verbal scenario performed as a group.

2. Saturday + Sunday Session

   • Here’s a brief overview of Saturday:

     • All other AFA skills are demonstrated by the instructor and then performed by each student.

     • Individual and group scenarios are given throughout the day.

     • Group skills such as spinal motion restriction will require the student the participate in the skill at least 4 times.

       • Once to run the skill, and other times being part of a team member running the skill.

     • Every skill learned is applied to scenarios on Sunday.

   • Here’s a brief overview of Sunday:

     • Scenario day. Every scenario is graded. You need 1 successful scenario where you are the primary attendant to pass the course.

     • Scenarios will build in complexity. Basic ones at first to solidify the Scene/Primary assessments. Memorization of Assessment Acronyms is key.

     • Scenarios then progress in patient severity, where all team members work together to apply skills/equipment.

     • You will use more than 1 piece of equipment and skill as scenarios progress. The goal is to use the equipment realistically every single time.

     • You will be asked key knowledge points about each piece of equipment when you utilize them.

       • Key points were taught through the online course, textbook reading, the workbooks, quizzes, skill sheets, and Friday/Saturday.

3. Private Video Session with an Instructor

   • Does every student recommend the video session? Yep.

   • Does any other AFA provider offer 1:1 video sessions with their students? Nope, just Delta Emergency.

   • There are virtual time-slots for everyone to have a 1+ hour session with an instructor prior to the in-person course. It is capped at 1 student per session. It is not required, but recommended. Sometimes they go to 90+ minutes, but we've had great feedback from students that have signed up for the video session. In the session, we can review your course progress, review mid-terms/quizzes, and clarify any questions.

   • Then, we review how in-person scenarios are structured and we give you a basic verbal scenario during the hour. It will help you understand the format of what we are looking for during your scenarios. Availability will be on weeknights after 18:00. The online scheduler for this will be available within the online course. There will be as many spots open as there are students in each cohort.

4. Weekly Written Scenarios

   • At the start of Week 1 and Week 2 we release a scenario writeup that describes an emergency call and some basic scene and patient information.

   • All students will read the scenario and reply to the scenario. Students think about the first steps they would take and their initial treatments. They type what they would do from Scene Assessment -> Treatments.

   • Students write their own reply, can format is however they like, and do not reply with "I'd do what she did, and add..."

   • Instructors will read each students answer but not reply until everyone has completed the assignment. Students have 1 week to writeup a reply to each week.

   • The goal is to see what you prioritize and what you visualize as potential treatment/patient pathways. We give feedback on what you wrote. It doesn't matter if you forgot C-Spine, or didn't think about shock, etc. It is used as a learning tool and is a great way to see the priorities you fellow classmates think about.

   • We release a formal writeup and answer to the scenario 10 days after one is posted. It contains all the things a student could consider with that particular emergency. There are actually some key points to take away as you work in the real world and encounter similar patients.

The Future

We want to be the first Red Cross provider that stays connected to their past students. Delta Emergency Professional Responder Community Forum. The goal is to make it a space for students to connect, make a concise list of emergency medical pathways for programs/colleges/provinces, share volunteering opportunities, career postings, first responder discounts, real-call talk, scenarios, etc. It will be a place that only past students can access, so there won't be any internet trolls - unless you are one. We just wanted to make a dedicated training spot for you to come and reflect on different emergency calls.

Want to use a BVM again? SMR a patient to a backboard? The Delta Community Forum will also keep you informed of joining in-person skill days. There will be a small fee to cover some basic costs, but it will allow you to come for the full weekend, or just 1 day of scenarios on Sunday. After class registration closes for a cohort we will contact past students through our LMS and invite them to come back for some risk-free, stress-free training.

The Delta Community Forum will also be a perfect way to introduce yourself to other students, network, and possibly exchange information about training, volunteering, or job opportunities. It's up to you. A network of Professional Responders lifting one another up. What could be better?

Update Nov 19, 2021: We are currently modifying our format and more details will be released in January 2022.

Pocket Mask Requirements: First Aid Program Standards in 2021

Important changes to program standards

In the interest of public health during COVID-19 and beyond, please be advised the Canadian Red Cross program standards have been updated with respect to pocket masks in Red Cross First Aid training. All participants attending classroom training are required to have their own pocket resuscitation mask with single-use one-way valve.

Pocket masks must be new (if provided by the Training Partner) or previously owned by the participant only. While pocket masks are already used in training, they are typically decontaminated and reused along with a new one-way valve.

Purchase here: Pocket Mask

With this revised standard, the practice of decontaminating pocket resuscitation masks will be discontinued as masks may not be reused.

To ensure the safety of all students, course participants can bring their own pocket mask with a one-way valve, or they may opt to purchase one as an add-on item prior to class. Masks can be shipped to your home, or picked up on class day.

This new standard begins on March 31, 2021. Delta Emergency will adopt this new standard today, December 17, 2020. All courses that require mask ventilation training will be required to add a pocket mask at time of course purchase. If you choose not to buy a mask and do not have one on class day, you will be required to purchase one from your trainer in person before training can commence. If you refuse to purchase a mask in class, your participation will be marked as incomplete. We appreciate your understanding of this transition and we believe this will greatly reduce the risk of disease transmission for course participants.

Resources

Our COVID-19 protocols for classroom training have been revised to reflect this change. The courses this training will affect are:

• Emergency First Aid

• Standard First Aid

• CPR A, CPR C, BLS, AED

• Oxygen Therapy

• Airway Management

• Advanced First Aid

Please contact the Canadian Red Cross at 1-877-356-3226 with any questions regarding this new training standard. 

As always, the health and safety of our partners, Instructors, and course participants is our first priority. Thank you for your support in ensuring a safe training environment.

Red Cross Online Babysitter's Course in Your Province

Canadian Red Cross Online Babysitter’s Course

Delta Emergency is now offering the Red Cross online Babysitter course. This course offers basic first aid and caregiving skills for youth 11-15 years old. Participants learn how to provide care to children in a variety of age groups, and how to prevent and respond to emergencies. The course also offers youth the skills to promote themselves as babysitters to prospective families. All you need is a computer, internet, webcam, babysitter textbook 7 hours (split over 3 school nights)!

July 1st, 2021: NEW HYBRID COURSE AVAILABLE!

Course Schedule

We try to accommodate our students across Canada with babysitter courses in your time zone. Our full online babysitter certification is about 7.5 hours and taught over 3 days. We run the course from 5:30pm-8pm is Mountain Standard Time, Eastern Standard Time, and Atlantic Standard Time. No matter where you live in Canada, there’s a course in your area + in your time zone at Delta Emergency.

We are here for Life

Train with real medical professionals like Advanced Care Paramedics. Our hope is that you certify in our online babysitter course and become a cautious, competent babysitter that is prepared to save a life. If you have questions before or even after your course, we are here for you. We answer any first aid questions you may have when you certify with us, for life. Call or email us anytime. We hope to see you in our virtual classroom soon!