Medical Aid

The First Responder program was developed by the Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) and the BC Ambulance Service  in order to train firefighters and police officers in emergency medical care.

The First Responder Program was created to ensure that a person in distress receives proper medical attention, in a timely manner. Many people are unaware that this program is in place in their community and, therefore in the event that 911 is called for an ambulance, they may see their fire department responding as first responders to assist the ambulance paramedics.

Department members are certified as First Responder Level III with Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and Spinal Immobilization endorsements.

These courses must be re-certified every three years with the exception of the AED endorsement, which is re-certified every six months. Sooke Fire Rescue includes the First Responder Program in its weekly training to ensure the skills of the firefighters are current and that they are aware of any changes that occur in the medical protocols.