SO THE INSTA-WIFE AND I SPENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON — ALL OF IT — IN A REFRESHER COURSE FOR CPR AND FIRST AID. A few things were different from past classes. First, they spent a lot of time on infection-control stuff, stressing the use of one-way barriers for mouth-to-mouth, gloves, hand-washing, etc. The first time I took one of these courses, back in college, the party line was “yeah, the victim may throw up in your mouth, but you’re not likely to catch anything so shake it off and keep resuscitating.” Now it’s very, very different. Some of that is due to a bigger, sicker population. But the instructor told me that some of it is because the number-one reason why people don’t want to help is fear of catching something, so the training is about feeling safer as well as being safer.

They also emphasized AEDs a lot — both how to use them, when to call for one, and why they should be widespread. We practiced with one, though it was pretty self-explanatory. I think those should be everywhere.

It was also interesting that I think Helen and I were the only ones who weren’t there because a job or school required it. Maybe that was just a fluke, but the instructor seemed surprised and gratified that we just wanted to maintain our skills for its own sake.

UPDATE: I should mention that we spent a lot of time on tourniquets, too, which was new. Both CAT-type tourniquets, and improvised.