CPR courses offer live-saving skills

By Nathan Pfau, Army Flier Staff WriterMarch 20, 2015

CPR courses offer live-saving skills
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FORT RUCKER, Ala. (March 20, 2015) -- When faced with a potentially life-threatening situation, the impact of early resuscitation and health care could mean the difference between life and death.

That's why Fort Rucker officials want to make sure that people on post and in the community are well educated on general cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automatic defibrillators.

It is estimated that 70 percent of Americans don't know how to administer CPR, and 92 percent of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching a hospital, according to the American Heart Association's website, and early CPR can double, or even triple a victim's chance of survival.

Kyle Casey, lead firefighter paramedic on Fort Rucker, said the interest for CPR education on the installation has been growing and that a number of people have been asking to learn the proper techniques.

"We've had several people come up here -- Soldiers, spouses, family members -- who have asked to have CPR and AED training, and they would come in and ask us to teach them and of course we would do it, but it would be one person at a time, which isn't very efficient or convenient," he said. "This went on for a little while and we finally decided that we should start hosting these CPR classes throughout the year."

The first class will be April 25 and will be free and available to the general public, but certification cards will come with a $5 fee. In the class, participants will learn about general first aid, AED usage and proper techniques for CPR for the general public.

The training will run over the course of a day and will consist of a lecture portion, hands-on portion, written test and skills test.

There are 18 spots available for the course, and the course will be offered up to four times a year with additional courses potentially being added throughout the year if participation demands it.

Casey stresses that proper technique is required when performing CPR in order to prevent further harm. The depth of compressions is important and people need to be able to distinguish when someone needs CPR, such as if someone is pulseless or not breathing.

The implementation of the course coincides with the installation of 18 AEDs across post in heavy traffic areas, so knowing how to properly operate these devices in a life threatening situation is critical, said Casey.

"This type of education is important because AEDs and early CPR save lives," he said. "We've had a lot of mothers with children who have come to learn, so that they can know what to do in an emergency situation, and this is knowledge that everyone should know."

Even when CPR is administered, Casey said that people should always call 911 right away. CPR certification is no substitute for calling emergency responders, but those precious early seconds are crucial.

"If the need should ever arise, having this knowledge could potentially save somebody's life," said the lead paramedic. "Having early defibrillation, that part to me, is extremely important. Call 911 immediately, start CPR and we'll be in route, which will give that person a better chance for survival."

For more information, including how to sign up for the course, call 255-2511.

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Fort Rucker, Ala.

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