Red Cross officials in Winnipeg say recent cases in which individuals saved lives by providing CPR point to the importance of having first-aid training.

On Tuesday, an off-duty firefighter performed CPR on a 23-year-old woman whose car tumbled off a Winnipeg bridge.

On the weekend, two off-duty medical workers revived an 83-year-old man who had been hit by a car.

In both cases, the victims survived. Both are in critical condition in hospital.

Red Cross spokesman Rob Wozny said anyone could find themselves in a similar situation.

"Perhaps maybe not as dramatic — maybe they're at the movie and they see someone collapse right in front of them, and they're one of only a few people around — having that training and knowing what to do can make the difference between life and death," he said.

"Don't be part of the 'Oh my God squad,' and what that means is, don't be a person who sees something happen and freezes and says, 'Oh my God, what do I do?' Be the person who has the training and knows how to make a difference."

The Red Cross offers a variety of first-aid courses, Wozny said. Most basic first-aid programs involve a full day of training.

More than a dozen organizations in Manitoba offer Red Cross-authorized first aid training, including the city of Winnipeg's community services department.