LAHARPE — You never know if you’ll be needed to save a life.
Medical emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time, to anybody, LaHarpe Police Chief Joe Stotler notes.
Stotler has hosted a series of CPR classes in recent months, most recently the evening of Feb. 23, and plans to do so once again, likely in April. The classes are offered free of charge, courtesy of a Health and Wellness grant.
Upon completion, the attendees — this author included — earned “Heartsaver” certification from the American Heart Association, noting each has been taught the basics of CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) usage, as well as other first aid techniques.
More importantly, the students can rest a bit easier in knowing how they’ll respond in a wide array of medical emergencies.
Such knowledge is particularly vital in rural areas, Stotler added.
To wit, it takes an average of 12 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at LaHarpe after the initial 911 call, Stotler said, a relative eternity when every second is precious.
And AEDs may seem intimidating at first, Stotler continued, but are both simple to use and invaluable if a person is administering CPR. Most machines offer visuals and instructions to ensure proper usage.
A combination of proper CPR and using an AED greatly improve a patient’s chances of survival, Stotler said.
Do you know what to do in case of an emergency?
Here are common questions:
Q — How do you know if a person is in need of CPR?
A — They are unresponsive and not breathing or only gasping
Q — CPR has two main skills. What are they?
A — Providing compressions and giving breaths
Q — How quickly must you apply chest compressions if delivering CPR?
A — 100 to 120 beats per minute. The easiest way to time yourself is to think of a song with that tempo, such as the Bee Gees classic “Staying Alive.”
