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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wik" data-source="post: 5535755" data-attributes="member: 40177">Absolutely.  But the keyword is "if you know how to use them".  Up here, in BC, only people who take heavy duty courses are trained in their use.  I've worked plenty of jobs where I was the only person who was trained in using a BVM.  I'd quietly train all of my other first aiders in their use on slow days.  But as part of a general use kit... I'd say they are overkill.  In Jon's case, a simple face shield is more than enough - mine fits in my wallet, and I have a bigger one in my household kit, and a detachable one with a BVM that I always make sure I have in my oxygen kit.  Well, I was being a bit fast and loose.  But the general rule is, don't check the pulse if you're by yourself doing compressions.  You don't have the time for it, and it's very easy to be mistaken.  A First Aider is not a paramedic or a superhero.  So, the rule is, compress and breathe until a change of status (usually puking, coughing, spontaneous regaining of consciousness - yeah, right - or a change in a patient's GCS status).  Look, I don't want to be "that guy", but I'd seriously consider rethinking that policy.  Because once you start trying to do too much multi-tasking, you run the risk of endangering your patient.  Taking a pulse is not really necessary if you're doing compressions, because you've already taken a pulse (and found none) when you started compressions.  And if you THINK you feel a pulse while doing compressions (which may happen, since the whole point of CPR is to keep blood circulating), and then stop CPR, you're endangering your patient.  Taking a pulse during one person CPR is, almost always, a bad idea.  Correct.  All of my quibbles above relate entirely to a single person CPR situation.  Although, sometimes, the person you're worth isn't reliable enough to take over two person duties, in whicih case, you're boned.  By B.C. protocol up here, you technically shouldn't ever try to teach two person CPR on the scene, due to the potential for error.  Not sure I agree with the rule, but there it is.  I know I've trained a few First Aiders in how to use the BVM... but there are some I'd rather avoid putting in a CPR situation entirely.  Up here, at least, they have to take over by law.  But yeah, you're right.  I've heard a lto of Parameds complain about that - people stopping compressions and running up to the van the second the flashing lights arrive.    Here, a team is usually a paramedic with an EMT, and the EMT will take over compressions and see if you know two person (or can learn it real quickly) while the Paramed sets up an AED and maybe drops a line.  I'm a level 3 OFA (about a week of training short of being an EMT), and Paramedics love me for it, because it means I'm legally allowed to continue assisting the Paramedics in the ambulance, which is always fun.  I've had to do it twice, and both times, I was like a kid in a candy store.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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