CPR and First Aid Classes

January 16, 2015 Author: Jason Fait

YOU CAN SAVE A LIFE!

According to the American Heart Association about 92 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital, but statistics prove that if more people knew CPR, more lives could be saved. Immediate CPR can double, or even triple, a victim’s chance of survival. The use of CPR dates all the way back to 1740, yet even today, most Americans don’t know how to perform it. Given properly and immediately to sudden cardiac arrest victims, CPR can save lives

WHO CAN LEARN CPR?
Anyone can learn CPR – and everyone should! Sadly, 70 percent of Americans may feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they either do not know how to administer CPR or their training has significantly lapsed. This alarming statistic could hit close to home, because home is exactly where 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur. Put very simply: The life you save with CPR is mostly likely to be someone you love.

WHY LEARN CPR?
Cardiac arrests are more common than you think, and they can happen to anyone at any time.

  • Nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually, and 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home.
  • Many victims appear healthy with no known heart disease or other risk factors.
  • Sudden cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack.
    • Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become rapid or chaotic, which causes the heart to suddenly stop beating.
    • A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle is blocked. A heart attack may cause cardiac arrest.

WHO CAN YOU SAVE WITH CPR?
The life you save with CPR is mostly likely to be a loved one.

  • Four out of five cardiac arrests happen at home.
  • Statistically speaking, if called on to administer CPR in an emergency, the life you save is likely to be someone at home: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.
  • African-Americans are almost twice as likely to experience cardiac arrest at home, work or in another public location than Caucasians, and their survival rates are twice as poor as for Caucasians.

WHY TAKE ACTION?

  • Failure to act in a cardiac emergency can lead to unnecessary deaths.
  • Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, but only 32 percent of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander.
  • Sadly, less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive.
  • The American Heart Association trains more than 12 million people in CPR annually, to equip Americans with the skills they need to perform bystander CPR.

WHERE AND WHEN CAN I LEARN CPR?
Penn Township Ambulance offers CPR-AED-First Aid classes on a monthly basis to the public. During this class participants are instructed in Adult, Child, and Infant CPR as well as the use of an AED. Most classes are held first Saturday of each month at 9:00am and class is approximately two hours long. Class sizes are limited and pre-registration is required by calling Penn Township Ambulance at 724.744.4112 or emailing [email protected]. Penn Township Ambulance also hosts private CPR classes for groups, businesses and associations. These private classes can be scheduled at Penn Township Ambulances Sandy Hill Road location or at a location of your choosing.

WHAT ABOUT AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION BASIC FIRST AID?
Penn Township Ambulance also offers the American Heart Association’s Basic First Aid Class. During this class participants learn basic first aid skills such as splinting broken bones, bleeding control, and what to do during common medical emergencies. The Basic First Aid Class is usually scheduled once a month following the monthly CPR-AED Class.

WHAT IS THE COST OF THE CPR-AED AND FIRST AID PROGRAMS?
Penn Township Ambulance charges the following for its monthly in-house public CPR program:

  • AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION BASIC CPR-AED TRAINING – $20.00
    • Optional AHA Completion Wallet Card – $20.00
  • AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION FIRST AID TRAINING – $20.00
    • Optional AHA Completion Wallet Card – $20.00
  • AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION BLS PROVIDER CPR – $25.00
  • Additional fees may apply to off-site training programs – contact us for additional information

Call Penn Township Ambulance today to register for an upcoming class – 724.744.4112