[gus_massa]

Check that your insurance covers heroic deaths.

I think that it’s important to try to help other people, but your safety is also important. For example it’s common that to rescue one person is drowning, more than one person attempts a rescue and all of then get drowned. You must learn how to proceed in those cases to be helpfull.

A few years ago I did a first aid mini-course. It was mostly about CPR and how to act in case of fire and chemical splits. The guide emphasized that the security of the rescuers is important. For example that before entering a door, you must check that the door will not close and trap you inside the dangerous place. Or make sure that the place you enter don’t have toxic fumes.

I can’t find a direct cite of this. But if you go to http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/chemical-emergency , press the “respond during” tab you get this recommendation (near the middle of the page):

> If you find someone who appears to have been injured from chemical exposure, make sure you are not in danger before administering First Aid.

[smoyer]

I agree that you need to be trained ... classes that teach life-guarding skills are essential around water, basic and advanced first aid, mountaineering, wilderness survival. You also need to be physically fit enough to do what you're contemplating (and more importantly ... know your own limits). I'm not going into details (it's not the point of my original comment) but learning these skills has been worthwhile.