Two Japan Air System flight attendants have passed qualification tests to become Red Cross first-aid instructors so they can teach colleagues such emergency techniques as heart massages.Yuko Hiiragi, 37, and Taeko Kunishige, 34, are the first Japanese cabin crew members to acquire the qualifications. As Red Cross instructors, they are required to teach first-aid care at the workplace, schools or elsewhere a few times a year as volunteers. They are part of a JAS program to train newly recruited cabin crew in first-aid procedures and to provide continuous education in emergency aid.JAS handles about 200 emergency cases aboard its aircraft a year. If a doctor or nurse is on board, cabin crew members assist in providing treatment. When an emergency is deemed serious, the carrier's policy is to land at the nearest airport and rush the victim to a hospital.JAS plans to have more crew members acquire the instructor qualification. Emergency-care instructors must pass tests after undergoing four days of training. There are 2,900 qualified instructors across the country.
