First Aid Study Guide (Canada) 2026

First aid courses and certificates in Canada

There is no single government first aid exam in Canada. Training agencies, such as the Canadian Red Cross, run first aid and CPR courses. At the end, you usually do a written test and show your skills on a manikin.

Workplace first aid rules are set by each province or territory. Many of them use CSA Z1210, "First aid training for the workplace – Curriculum and quality management for training agencies". It describes two levels: basic and intermediate first aid. A 2024 edition replaced the 2017 edition. A related standard, CSA Z1220, covers workplace first aid kits.

Course names differ by agency and province. Many agencies call the shorter basic-level course emergency first aid and the longer intermediate-level course standard first aid. Ask your employer which level you need.

Check, Call, Care

Canadian Red Cross courses teach three emergency steps. Use them in every emergency, big or small.

The three emergency steps: Check, Call, Care.

Check: first make sure the scene is safe, then check the person.
Call: call 9-1-1 (EMS) for any life-threatening problem, or if you are in doubt.
Care: give first aid, starting with the most serious problem, until help takes over.

Check the scene

Is it safe for you? Look for traffic, fire, electricity, chemicals or violence.
What happened?
How many people are hurt?
Who else is there to help?

If the scene is not safe, do not go in. Call 9-1-1 and wait for trained help. Put on gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE) if you have it.

Check the person

Responsiveness: tap the shoulder and shout, "Are you okay?"
ABCs: airway, breathing and circulation. Check breathing for 5 to 10 seconds.
Severe bleeding: look quickly from head to toe.

If the person is awake, tell them who you are and ask if you may help. A responsive adult can say no.

Call

Call 9-1-1 for unresponsiveness or any life-threatening problem. If you are not sure, call. If other people are nearby, point to one person and tell them to call 9-1-1 and bring an AED. If you are alone with a cell phone, put it on speaker so you can follow the dispatcher while you give care.

Care

Treat life-threatening problems first, such as no breathing or heavy bleeding. Then keep checking the person, keep them comfortable and reassure them until EMS arrives.

CPR and AED

If a person is unresponsive and not breathing, or only gasping, assume their heart has stopped (cardiac arrest). Gasping is not normal breathing. Start CPR right away.

Who to call first

Adult: call 9-1-1 and get an AED (or send someone), then start CPR.
Child or baby, and you are alone with no phone: give about 2 minutes (5 cycles) of CPR first, then call 9-1-1 and get an AED.

Chest compressions

Hand and body position for adult chest compressions.

The centre of the chest, on the lower half of the breastbone.
Heel of one hand there, the other hand on top, fingers laced.
Arms straight, shoulders right above your hands, pushing straight down.

Push at least 5 cm (2 in.) deep on an adult and let the chest come back up.

Push down at least 5 cm (2 in.). Heart & Stroke adds: not more than 6 cm.
Let the chest come all the way back up after each push. Do not lean on it.

Push hard and fast on a firm, flat surface, at 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Keep pauses short, because blood stops moving when you stop pushing.

Rescue breaths

Tilt the head back and lift the chin to open the airway. Give 2 breaths, each about 1 second, just enough to make the chest rise. For a baby, cover the mouth and nose with your mouth and give gentle breaths.

If you cannot or will not give breaths to an adult, give compression-only CPR. For children and babies, CPR with breaths is recommended, because breaths and compressions together improve survival.

	Adult	Child	Baby (under 1 year)
Hands	Two hands, centre of chest	One or two hands	Two thumbs with hands wrapped around the chest (other techniques are also taught)
Depth	At least 5 cm (2 in.)	At least one-third of chest depth	At least one-third of chest depth
Rate	100 to 120 per minute	100 to 120 per minute	100 to 120 per minute
Compressions to breaths	30:2	30:2	30:2
Lone rescuer, no phone	Call 9-1-1 and get AED first	5 cycles (about 2 min) of CPR, then call	5 cycles (about 2 min) of CPR, then call

Keep going until EMS takes over, the person shows an obvious sign of life, you are too tired to continue, or the scene becomes unsafe.

Using an AED

An AED (automated external defibrillator) checks the heart rhythm and gives a shock if needed. Use it as soon as it arrives. Turn it on and follow the voice prompts.

Usual adult pad positions. Always follow the pictures on the pads.

One pad on the upper right chest, just below the collarbone.
The other pad on the lower left side, below the armpit.

Dry the chest and remove clothing or medication patches in the way.
Keep pads at least 2.5 cm (1 in.) apart, and at least 2.5 cm from a pacemaker.
Use child or baby pads for small children if you have them. If the pads would touch, put one on the front and one on the back.
Do not use an AED in water. Move the person out first. Using it on ice or snow is safe.
Nobody touches the person while the AED analyzes or shocks. Restart CPR right after a shock.

Choking

If the person can cough or speak, the blockage is partial. Encourage them to keep coughing and be ready to act.

If they cannot speak, cough or breathe, or make a high-pitched noise, the airway is blocked. Have someone call 9-1-1. Then alternate up to 5 back blows and up to 5 abdominal thrusts until the object comes out or the person becomes unresponsive. Heart & Stroke 2025 guidance says to start with back blows.

Abdominal thrusts for a choking adult or child.

Stand close behind the person, with one foot between their feet.
Make a fist and put it, thumb side in, just above the belly button and well below the breastbone.
Grab your fist with your other hand.
Give quick thrusts inward and upward.

Back blows: support the chest with one arm, bend the person forward and strike firmly between the shoulder blades.
Late pregnancy, or you cannot reach around: use chest thrusts instead of abdominal thrusts.
Baby: give back blows with the baby face-down along your forearm, then chest thrusts with the baby face-up. Do not use abdominal thrusts on a baby.
Unresponsive: make sure 9-1-1 has been called and start CPR, beginning with compressions. Remove an object only if you can see it. Do not do blind finger sweeps.
Alone and choking: call 9-1-1, move where people can see you, and push your upper belly against a firm object such as a chair back.

The recovery position

Use the recovery position for a person who is unresponsive (or less responsive) but breathing. Lying on the side keeps the airway open and lets vomit or blood drain out of the mouth. If you suspect a spine injury, keep the person still instead, unless you must move them to keep the airway clear.

Rolling a person into the recovery position.

Put the arm nearest you out at a right angle, elbow bent.
Bring the far arm across the chest and hold the back of that hand against the near cheek.
Bend the far knee up, with the foot flat on the ground.
Roll the person toward you onto their side. Tilt the head back to keep the airway open.

Support the head and roll the person as one unit. Then keep checking their ABCs until EMS arrives.

Bleeding and shock

Call 9-1-1 right away for life-threatening bleeding. Put on gloves if you can.

Steps to control serious bleeding from an arm or leg.

Press firmly and directly on the wound.
Cover it with a dressing and hold it on with a bandage. If blood soaks through, add more on top.
If direct pressure does not stop life-threatening bleeding, use a tourniquet 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in.) above the wound.

Tourniquets

Use one when direct pressure fails to control life-threatening bleeding from a limb.
Place it 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in.) above the injury and at least 2.5 cm (1 in.) above any joint.
Tighten until the bleeding stops, secure it and write down the time.

Shock

Shock means the organs are not getting enough oxygen-rich blood. Signs include anxiety or confusion, cool and clammy skin, weakness, fast breathing and drowsiness. Call 9-1-1, treat the cause, such as bleeding, and keep watching the person.

Burns

Cool a heat burn with cool running water.

A stream of cool running water.
The burned skin sits under the water.
Keep cooling for at least 10 minutes. Cooling longer, such as the 20 minutes shown, is fine.

Cool a heat burn with cool water or a clean, cool (not freezing) compress for at least 10 minutes. Do not use ice, butter or ointments.
Flush a chemical burn with cool running water for at least 15 minutes.
For an electrical burn, make sure the power is off before you touch the person.
Call 9-1-1 for burns on the face, neck, hands or genitals, large burns, deep (full-thickness) burns, and chemical, electrical or explosion burns.

Bone, joint, head and spine injuries

For bone, muscle and joint injuries, the Canadian Red Cross uses RICE:

Rest the injured part.
Immobilize it, for example with a splint.
Cool it for 20 minutes of every hour, with a cloth between the cold pack and the skin.
Elevate it, if this does not increase pain.

Check circulation (skin colour and temperature) below the injury before and after splinting. If it is cold after splinting, loosen the splint. Call 9-1-1 for a broken thigh bone, a pelvis injury, a bone through the skin, or a cold, pale or numb area below the injury. Do not press on an injured pelvis.

Head, neck and spine

Suspect a spine injury after a fall from higher than the person's own height, a diving injury, a strong blow, or unexplained unresponsiveness. Call 9-1-1, keep the person as still as possible and support the head in the position you found it.

With a possible concussion, the person should stop all activity right away and see a health-care provider. Call 9-1-1 for repeated vomiting, loss of responsiveness, confusion, seizures, vision changes or a worsening headache.

Sudden illness

Heart attack

Signs include chest pain or pressure that may spread to the arms, neck, jaw or back, with shortness of breath, sweating or nausea. Call 9-1-1, get an AED and have the person rest. If they are not allergic and have no reason not to, they may chew 1 regular-strength or 2 low-dose ASA tablets. Do not give acetaminophen or ibuprofen instead.

Stroke: FAST

Letter	What to check
F – Face	Is it drooping?
A – Arm	Can they raise both arms?
S – Speech	Is it slurred or jumbled?
T – Time	Call 9-1-1 right away.

Note the time the signs started, have the person rest and give nothing to eat or drink.

Asthma and anaphylaxis

For asthma, move the person away from the trigger and help them use their quick-relief inhaler, with a spacer if they have one. Call 9-1-1 if they struggle to breathe or do not improve.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction with trouble breathing or swelling of the face and throat. Call 9-1-1. Help the person use their epinephrine auto-injector in the outer thigh. If there is no improvement within 5 minutes, give a second dose if one is available.

Diabetic emergencies

If a person with diabetes is confused but can swallow safely, give sugar, preferably glucose tablets. Never give insulin. If there is no improvement within 10 minutes, call 9-1-1 and give more sugar if it is still safe. If the person is not fully awake, call 9-1-1 and give nothing by mouth.

Seizures

Move objects away and protect the head. Do not hold the person down or put anything in their mouth. Afterwards, roll them into the recovery position; they may be drowsy for up to 20 minutes. Call 9-1-1 if you do not know their history, the seizure lasts more than a few minutes, or seizures repeat.

Poisoning and opioids

Call 1-844-POISON-X (1-844-764-7669) or your local poison centre. Call 9-1-1 if the person is less responsive or has trouble breathing. Make them vomit only if told to. For a suspected opioid overdose with no normal breathing, call 9-1-1, start CPR and give naloxone if available, without delaying CPR.

Heat, cold and water

Heat stroke: call 9-1-1 and cool the person fast, for example forearms in cool water, wet towels on the chest with fanning, and cold packs in the armpits.
Hypothermia: handle gently, keep the person lying flat, insulate them and warm the upper trunk. Do not let them walk. In severe cases, check breathing for up to 60 seconds before starting CPR.
Frostbite: thaw only if it will not refreeze, using warm (not hot) water or body heat. Leave blisters intact.
Cold water and ice: do not enter the water or go near an ice hole unless you are trained. Start CPR if a rescued person is not breathing and treat them for hypothermia.