Alaska Sea Grant has added first aid for mariners and CPR training to its portfolio of services provided to coastal Alaskans. Earlier this year, two Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program faculty, Gabe Dunham and Tav Ammu, received training and certification by the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association to teach the first-response curriculum statewide.

Alaska Sea Grant will be able to provide the Mariner’s First Aid training—a combination of classroom and hands-on first-response instruction—to those who work and play in Alaska’s hazardous coastal waters. The training provides U.S. Coast Guard-accepted two-year first aid and CPR certification from the American Safety & Health Institute.

“Having the capacity to deliver Mariner’s First Aid training is a great complement to our existing marine safety training,” said Dunham, leader of the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program. “I’m looking forward to sharing this information with Alaskan mariners and boaters.”

One objective of Mariner’s First Aid training is to become comfortable and knowledgeable conducting CPR. According to the American Red Cross, CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.  

In addition to receiving a CPR certification, students learn how to assist with common injuries such as burns, blood loss, broken bones, and hypothermia, as well as assessing and assisting with basic cardiovascular, respiratory or neurological impairments.

The one-day course includes scenarios taken from real-life situations onboard marine vessels. While the curriculum focuses on common injuries seen in the fishing and maritime industries, most of the skills developed can also be applied to on-land emergencies.  

This training continues Alaska Sea Grant’s long-standing partnership with the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association. Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program faculty have delivered AMSEA’s U.S. Coast Guard-approved drill conductor course to coastal mariners since 1985.In September, Alaska Sea Grant conducted its first two classes in Bethel. If you are interested in a Mariner’s First Aid training in your community, please contact an Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program agent.

Alaska Sea Grant

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