OTTAWA, April 30, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- St. John Ambulance is greatly saddened to learn of the death of Mr. Randy Theriault and offers our profound and sincere condolences to his family and friends. Mr. Theriault had been participating in our Marine Advanced First Aid course, offered through Nova Scotia Community College, before he passed away earlier this month. Our course adheres to Transport Canada guidelines and requires 35 completed hours of training to earn certification to ensure that qualified graduates have the knowledge and ability to protect the safety of the public and render first aid within the mandate that St. John Ambulance promotes to all Canadians. We understand that Mr. Theriault, who, in the course of the training had exhibited normal vital signs but who had complained from time-to-time of flu-like symptoms, had enquired of instructors whether he might be excused from the course for a period of time. As with any other course participant, St. John Ambulance instructors agreed to provide Mr. Theriault with reasonable accommodation to complete his certification by allowing him to make up missed time at a later date. In response, Mr. Theriault advised that he wished to continue his participation. While in retrospect this decision appears most unfortunate, at the time St. John Ambulance had no reason to doubt Mr. Theriault's decision that he was able to continue and do so safely. Upholding the quality and standards of our training programs and promoting the well-being of our instructors and course participants is of top priority to St. John Ambulance and the community which we have served for over 100 years. St. John Ambulance volunteers strive to be available to Canadians to provide first-aid assistance in such situations until needed medical attention can arrive. Sudden and tragic circumstances can arrive at any time. Sadly for Mr. Theriault and his family this has proven all too true. We again offer them our heartfelt condolences. St. John Ambulance pledges itself to co-operate with any and all official investigations into this sad event. About St. John Ambulance : St. John Ambulance is an international humanitarian organization and is a foundation of the Order of St. John. As Canada's standard for excellence in first aid and CPR services, St. John Ambulance offers innovative programs, ensuring Canadians receive the best quality training. Revenue generated from first aid/CPR training supports St. John Ambulance's charitable work in Canada and around the world.
Clara Wicke For more information, visit www.sja.ca
