The School of Living · everyday skills for a whole life
Emergency, Safety & First Aid
Bleeding, burns, breakdowns, and blackouts — calm, practiced responses that make emergencies smaller.
Assess the scene, stop the bleeding, treat burns and breaks, and stock a kit before anyone needs it.
Syllabus · 5 units · ~10 hours
Unit I — First Minutes
Scene safety: check before you rush · Calling emergency services: what to say, in what order · Consent, gloves, and moving someone only when you must
Unit II — Bleeding and Wounds
Direct pressure: the technique that saves lives · Cleaning and dressing everyday cuts · When a wound needs stitches, and tourniquets as the last resort
Unit III — Burns, Breaks, and Sprains
Burns: cool water, then judgment on severity · Sprains and RICE, and what recent evidence adjusts · Suspected fractures: immobilize and transport
Unit IV — Choking, Poisoning, Reactions
Choking: back blows and abdominal thrusts by age · Poison control: the number to save today · Anaphylaxis and the epinephrine auto-injector
Unit V — The Kit
Stocking a home kit that gets used · The car kit and the travel kit · Checking and restocking on a schedule
Hands-only CPR, the AED's spoken instructions, and where to practice until your hands know the rhythm.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~6 hours
Unit I — The Chain of Survival
Cardiac arrest versus heart attack · Why minutes matter: the survival curve · Recognizing arrest and starting immediately
Unit II — Hands-Only CPR
Hand position, depth, and the 100–120 tempo · Compressions without stopping: managing fatigue · Children and infants: what changes
Unit III — The AED and Beyond
What an AED does and why you cannot do harm with one · Following its spoken instructions under stress · Where to find in-person certification: this course is the rehearsal, not the license
Water, food, light, heat, and a plan for when the phones fail — a household ready for seventy-two hours.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~8 hours
Unit I — Your Actual Risks
Mapping the hazards where you live · Shelter in place versus evacuate: two different plans · The realistic scenario: a multi-day power outage
Unit II — The Supplies
Water: one gallon per person per day · Food that needs no cooking, rotated not hoarded · Light, heat, and power without carbon monoxide mistakes · Medications, documents, and cash in small bills
Unit III — The Plan
The go-bag: packed, staged, and reviewed yearly · Meeting points and the out-of-state contact · Texts over calls: communication when networks strain · Practicing once: the tabletop run-through
Pre-trip checks, flat tires, dead batteries, and overheating — handled safely on the shoulder, not learned there.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~6 hours
Unit I — Before You Drive
Tires: pressure, tread, and the penny test · Fluids and lights: the five-minute monthly check · Instrument-panel warning lights ranked by urgency
Unit II — When It Happens
Getting off the road and being seen: flashers, triangles, distance · Changing a flat, step by step · Jump-starting without sparks in the wrong place · Overheating: what to do and what never to open hot
Unit III — Weather and the Kit
Winter driving: skids, following distance, and staying with the car · The trunk kit: cables, light, blanket, water · Roadside assistance: what your insurance already includes
Ages and stages of care, small emergencies and when to call, and arriving with the right questions.
Syllabus · 3 units · ~6 hours
Unit I — The Job
Arriving early and the questions to ask every time · Emergency numbers, allergies, and house rules written down · What the parents expect: feeding, bedtime, screens
Unit II — Care by Age
Babies: holding, feeding, changing, and safe sleep · Toddlers: constant eyes and childproofed rooms · School-age kids: games, homework, and fair rules
Unit III — When Something Goes Wrong
Small hurts: bumps, scrapes, and nosebleeds · Choking response for babies and children · When to call the parents and when to call 911 · Fire, strangers at the door, and staying calm out loud