A free community resource from Global Strawberry. This page is general information only — it is not medical advice and does not replace certified first-aid training or professional emergency care. In an emergency in Canada or the US, call 911 immediately. These steps are for adults — children and infants need different techniques, which a certified course covers.
Demonstration videos are for general awareness only — certified training is the only way to learn these skills safely.
1. Check for danger. Before helping anyone, make sure the scene is safe for you — traffic, fire, electricity, water. A second casualty helps no one.
2. Call for help. Call 911 (Canada/US) or your local emergency number. Say where you are, what happened and how many people are hurt, and stay on the line — put your phone on speaker so the dispatcher can guide you.
3. Provide care. Only within what you know. Keep the person still and warm, and keep talking to them until help arrives.
Call 911 first (or have someone else call). Place the heel of one hand in the centre of the chest, the other hand on top, arms straight. Push hard and fast — 5–6 cm (about 2 inches) deep, 100–120 compressions per minute, letting the chest rise fully between pushes. Send someone to find an AED (defibrillator) — they’re in malls, gyms and offices. Turn it on and follow its voice instructions. Do not stop until paramedics arrive or the person responds. Hands-only CPR is effective and recommended for untrained helpers.
Bend the person forward and give 5 firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. If that fails, give 5 abdominal thrusts: stand behind them, place a fist just above the navel, grasp it with the other hand, and pull sharply inward and upward. Alternate 5 and 5 until the object comes out. If they lose consciousness, start CPR and make sure 911 has been called. For pregnant or larger people, give chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts. Anyone who received abdominal thrusts should be checked by a doctor.
Roll the person onto their side (the recovery position) so their airway stays open, tilt the head back slightly, and keep checking their breathing until help arrives. If breathing stops, start CPR.
Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty — Time to call 911. Note the time symptoms started; treatment works best when it starts early.
Press hard on the wound with a clean cloth and do not let go. If blood soaks through, add more cloth on top and keep pressing. Call 911 for bleeding that spurts, will not stop, or soaks through dressings.
Cool the burn under cool running water for 10–20 minutes. Remove rings and watches near the area before it swells. Do not apply ice, butter or creams, and do not break blisters. Cover loosely with a clean non-stick dressing. Seek medical care for burns that are large, deep, on the face or hands, or caused by chemicals or electricity.
Signs include very slow or no breathing, blue lips and not waking up. Call 911, give naloxone if you have a kit (free at most Ontario pharmacies), and start CPR if they are not breathing normally. Stay with them until help arrives.
A one-day certified course teaches far more than any web page. In Canada, courses are offered by the Canadian Red Cross , St. John Ambulance and Heart & Stroke.
Ontario’s Good Samaritan Act, 2001 protects people who give emergency first aid in good faith. Most other provinces and countries have similar laws.
General information checked against publicly available Red Cross guidance. When in doubt, call 911.
Global Strawberry