Knowing how to react in a medical emergency or that you are in good hands should something happen to you is reassuring. Whether it’s treating a bleeding wound, helping someone who is choking, or responding to a cardiac arrest with and without an automated external defibrillator (AED), the initial response can make all the difference.

At LAU, members of the community are being prepared to make those minutes count, thanks to a new First Aid Training initiative introduced in June 2026 by the Human Resources Staff Relations & Development Office in collaboration with the Lebanese Red Cross.

More than 180 faculty and staff members have so far completed their first aid training, gaining essential practical skills to assist colleagues, students, family members, and the wider community.

Structured as a step-by-step learning pathway that builds from basic first aid to advanced response, the program forms a part of the university’s ongoing investment in both employee development and campus safety.

“The safety and wellbeing of our community remain among our highest priorities,” said Executive Director of Staff Relations and Development Grace Lebbos. “By giving faculty and staff practical emergency response skills, we are helping them respond with confidence during critical situations while building a culture in which everyone looks out for the other.”

In the initiative’s first phase, 143 faculty and staff members completed Basic First Aid Training under the guidance of certified instructors from the Lebanese Red Cross.

Working through a course that combined classroom instruction with hands-on exercises and realistic scenarios, participants learned to recognize common medical emergencies, administer first aid, and care for an injured or ill person until professional medics arrive. They applied life-saving techniques in simulated emergencies to prepare them for assisting calmly and effectively in an actual incident.

“The practical component is what makes this training so valuable,” said Lebbos. “Participants leave with the knowledge and confidence to respond when every second counts.”

For those who complete Basic First Aid, the learning continues as faculty and staff move on to Advanced First Aid Training, where they build on their foundational skills through further instruction and additional practical exercises.

Running alongside this first phase, 45 faculty and staff members who already held Basic First Aid certifications completed the Advanced First Aid Training, also delivered by certified Lebanese Red Cross instructors, during which they tackled a broader range of medical emergencies while sharpening their assessment, decision-making, and response skills through continued hands-on practice.

The initiative’s final stage will bring together one group of staff members from each campus, who will be selected to join the Lebanese Red Cross First Responder Training Program, an intensive eight-day certification course covering patient assessment, basic life support, trauma management, and emergency scene management.

Once they complete the program, these employees will serve as designated first responders on their campuses, providing immediate and coordinated assistance while paramedics are on the way.