Related to a tangent in this thread wondering why so many drivers don’t know about the emergency use of neutral when driving, I’m wondering how well people remember basic safety training.
For example, in the 7th grade, a firefighter came to our school and taught my class various things, including how to use a fire extinguisher. It was super-cool at the time because we got to use extinguishers and I’d never done that before. That was about 25 years or so ago, but I can still remember every step.
I was taught the Heimlich in the 6th grade. Never had an occasion to use it, but I know what to do if I need to.
Same with driver’s ed, when they taught us what to do if your brakes fail. I’ve never had to do this for failing brakes, but I have used the emergency slap into neutral to regain control of a skid which would have definitely resulted in me hitting a tree. It worked exactly as they said it would in driver’s ed.
I’m starting to think I’m in a minority when it comes to remembering this stuff. Am I?
That said, there’s a HUGE difference in me sitting here at work remembering “you shift into Neutral if you can’t brake” and me remembering it if my brakes have, in fact, gone out and I’m headed for a school bus full of nuns.
But at least you do remember which is better than what my informal office poll produced. The most common answer I got was “Oh, yeah… didn’t they tell you how to do that on the news the other night?”
I remember both my original CPR and Heimlich training from health class in 7th grade.
Of course I’ve taken lots and lots of additional emergency medical classes since then, but until the new and much improved version of CPR was developed a couple of years ago, that portion was all just a rehash of the 7th grade variant.
I also remember all the tips and tricks from my defensive and executive protection driving classes and still practice them on a regular basis just because they’re fun.
I worked in rescue (as a volunteer) for quite a few years. EMT, IV-certified, etc.
Some years later, I was teaching a class (adult ed) when one of my students collapsed. There was no thought involved. I caught him before he hit the floor, laid him down, and immediately went into the routine. He wasn’t breathing, so I opened his airway, without effect, ventilated a few times until he caught up, and called for the medics. All automatic.
Some years later, my then-toddler daughter has a seizure. All that training, all that experience went right out the window. Panic city. (She’s fine, and in grad school, if you are wondering.)
So, I do remember my training, even though I haven’t used it in years - but personal involvement can totally screw it up!
I definitely know what to do in an emergency at work, because I’ve dealt with them quite a few times. I can even do it with some level of confidence.
But when the fire alarm went off in my apartment my senior year of college? I stood there like an idiot wondering what I should do.
Of course, after my brain snapped into gear it was fine–I even remembered to check the doorknob to make sure it was cool enough to touch–but remembering those few seconds later made me feel so…STUPID.
I was one of those worriers that was afraid of a lot of things; car crashes, being attacked, choking on something while living alone in my apartment, people following me, and on and on and on. Well, after lots of therapy and some first aid and self defense classes, I’m not afraid of those things anymore. In large part because I know how to handle them. Knowing that I know them and that I’m safe helps me make it through the day.
Also, in this type of forum (SDMB), I have a feeling there are a lot of detail-oriented people who would be able to remember (and want to remember) all of this life-saving information. I’m sure that if to took this same poll at the local soup kitchen, you’d get much different results.