The International first aid, resuscitation, and education guidelines (referred to as the Guidelines) is an international publication made in collaboration with Red Cross Red Crescent Societies, first aid specialists and task-forces. This collaboration of work by volunteers and staff is coordinated by the Global First Aid Reference Centre and a dedicated steering committee. The Global First Aid Reference Centre warmly thanks and values all these important contributions.

Steering committee of the 2020 Guidelines
Pascal Cassan, MD IFRC Global First Aid Reference Centre
Emmy De Buck, PhD Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Belgian Red Cross
Andrew Macpherson, MD Canadian Red Cross
Don Marentette Canadian Red Cross
David Markenson, MD American Red Cross
Emily Oliver British Red Cross
Kristopher Tharris Canadian Red Cross
Thomas Wilp, PhD International Committee of the Red Cross

Global First Aid Reference Centre project team
Salomé Boucif, First aid officer
Maud Boutonné, International first aid attestation coordinator
Diane Issard, Manager
Bassinte Ossama, Project assistant
Adele Perkins, Platform manager (British Red Cross)

Editors
Christine Boase British Red Cross
Keely Siegle American Red Cross

Proofreaders
Grace Lo Global First Aid Reference Centre
Léa Meunier Global First Aid Reference Centre
Chris Pickin Global First Aid Reference Centre

Methodology
Jorien Laermans, PhD Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Belgian Red Cross
Vera Borra, PhD Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Belgian Red Cross

IFRC Health and care department, Geneva
Emanuele Capobianco, MD, MPH, Director
Bhanu Pratap, MBBS, MPH, Senior officer, Care in the community

Content contributors

Education
Christine Boase British Red Cross
Nancy Claxton, EdD International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Didier Dusabe International Committee of the Red Cross
Kaysha Edwards Canadian Red Cross
Andrew Farrar British Red Cross
Piers Flavin Netherlands Red Cross
Felicity Gapes New Zealand Red Cross
Lamin Gassama Gambia Red Cross
Adam Gesicki Canadian Red Cross
Ellen Gordon British Red Cross
Panagiotis Ioannidis, PhD International Committee of the Red Cross
Lesley Jacobson New Zealand Red Cross
Brian Kanaahe Mwebaze, PhD Uganda Red Cross
Lyle Karasiuk, Canadian Red Cross
Shelly King-Hunter (Longmore) Canadian Red Cross
Katrina Kiss British Red Cross
Alexander Kurucz Austrian Red Cross
Ambrose Lee Singapore Red Cross
Moeketsi Augustinus Lethoko Lesotho Red Cross
Željko Malić Slovenian Red Cross
George Mamabolo South African Red Cross
Jodie Marshall Canadian Red Cross
Christoph Meier Swiss Red Cross
Fabienne Meier Swiss Red Cross
Joanna Muise Canadian Red Cross
Joe Mulligan British Red Cross
Kristiina Myllyrinne Finnish Red Cross
Malini Nair International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Country Cluster Support Team Pacific
Mabvuto Ng’ambi Zambia Red Cross
Melisa Pasquali Argentine Red Cross
Aaron Orkin, MD University of Toronto
Jeffrey Pellegrino, PhD American Red Cross/University of Akron
Tyrone Power Canadian Red Cross
Aaron Pritchard British Red Cross
Cees van Romburgh, MD Netherlands Red Cross
Sandra Sabury Red Cross Society of Seychelles
Christopher Shirley Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Maneesh Singhal, MD All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences
Odd-Bjørn Sørnes Norwegian Red Cross
Tracey Taylor British Red Cross
Debbie Van’t Kruis Canadian Red Cross
Conrad Wanyama Kenya Red Cross/Kenya Medical Research Institute
Alexander Ward British Red Cross

Clinical
Kevin Hung, MBChB Red Cross Society of China – Hong Kong Branch
Gabor Göbl, MD Hungarian Red Cross
Daniel Meyran, MD French Red Cross
Cees van Romburgh, MD Netherlands Red Cross
Axel Siu, MBChB Red Cross Society of China – Hong Kong Branch
Susanne Schunder-Tatzber, MD Austrian Red Cross
Owen Chauhan, MD University of Ottawa
Jorien Laermans, PhD Centre for Evidence-Based Practice, Belgian Red Cross

Communications
Michael Nemeth Canadian Red Cross
Mike Skinner Canadian Red Cross
Tracey Taylor British Red Cross
Lyle Karasiuk Canadian Red Cross
Roger Mayo Canadian Red Cross

Psychological first aid and mental distress
Eliza Cheung, PhD IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support
Cherry Lin Red Cross Society of China – Hong Kong Branch
Katie Pavoni British Red Cross
Stijn Stroobants, PhD Belgian Red Cross

Conflict
Mazen Al-Hebshi, MD, MPH International Committee of the Red Cross
William Clucas International Committee of the Red Cross
Matthew Earl International Committee of the Red Cross
Thomas Wilp, PhD International Committee of the Red Cross
Rony Timo International Committee of the Red Cross
Gonzalo Martinez Jara International Committee of the Red Cross

Disaster
Steven Jensen Global Disaster Preparedness Center
Lauren Rogers Bell Global Disaster Preparedness Center

Water safety and aquatics
Daniel Graham Niles Swimmers
Lauren Petrass Federation University of Australia
Linda Quan, MD American Red Cross
Luis-Miguel Pascual-Gomez Asociación Española de Técnicos en Salvamento Acuático y Socorrismo
Reto Abächerli Swiss Red Cross
Roberto Barcala-Furelos, PhD University of Vigo
Ana Catarina Queiroga, PhD International Drowning Researchers’ Alliance/Porto University
William D. Ramos, PhD American Red Cross
Tom Mecrow Royal National Lifesaving Institute
Teresa Stanley University of Auckland

Implementation meeting delegates
Milad Arjmandkia Iranian Red Crescent
Santiago Camino Branca Argentine Red Cross
Henry Celi Ecuadorian Red Cross
Tea Chikviladze, MD Georgia Red Cross Society
Fidelis De Sousa Mozambique Red Cross
Rasha El Masry Egyptian Red Crescent
Martine Feron French Red Cross
Ibrahim Gouleh Palestine Red Crescent
Estella Humphreys Belize Red Cross
Sammy Kamanu Kenya Red Cross
Brian Kanaahe, DPH Uganda Red Cross Society
Riaz Khan Fiji Red Cross
Gaelle Leloux Belgian Red Cross
Maya Mahmoud Lebanese Red Cross
Jeanne Mukeshimana Rwanda Red Cross
Malini Nair International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Country Cluster Support Team Pacific
Cristina Pareja Ecuadorian Red Cross
Ruru Ping International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Country Cluster Support Team East Asia
Shyamalee Rathnakumari Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
Von Ryan Ong Philippine Red Cross
Sandra Sabury Seychelles Red Cross
Daniela Schwenk German Red Cross
Samir Smisim, MD Saudi Arabia Authority Red Crescent
Singh Vanshree, PhD Indian Red Cross Society
José Victoriano Méndez Lara Venezuelan Red Cross/International Committee of the Red Cross
Shemi Waldman Magen David Adom Israel
Xiaohua Zhang Red Cross Society of China

Organisations

The following organisations made significant monetary and in-kind contributions to enable the success of the Guidelines. Without these contributions, the Guidelines would not have been possible to produce.

Organisations include:

• American Red Cross
• Aviva Plc (Global First Aid Reference Centre Platform)
• Belgian Red Cross, Flanders
• British Red Cross
• Canadian Red Cross
• French Red Cross
• International Committee of the Red Cross
• International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent and Red Crescent Societies

The participation and past or present evidence-based work of the following organisations and agencies were invaluable in the development of these guidelines:

• Belgian Red Cross, Centre for Evidence-Based Practice (CEBaP)
• European Resuscitation Council
• IFRC Global First Aid Reference Centre
• IFRC Reference Centre for Psychosocial Support
• International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR)
• Scientific Advisory Council of the American Red Cross

We would like to thank the health teams of the IFRC regional offices who helped in coordination of the implementation meeting. We wish to acknowledge the first aid managers, trainers and volunteers who will implement this information in the programmes they design and deliver, and the countless individuals who will use this information and skills to save lives.

Explore the guidelines

Published: 15 February 2021