Time is the enemy when someone has a health emergency that stops blood flow to their organs. Immediately starting CPR - cardiopulmonary resucitation - can literally save a life.“Early CPR is the difference in achieving success in an emergency situation,” says Kale McBurney, training chief for the Marion Fire Department. “If it is started before our EMT professionals arrive on the scene, the prognosis for a good outcome goes way up. If not, we’re behind when we get there.”
When a bystander starts CPR early, it’s a proven fact that it triples the chances of a positive outcome for the victim, says McBurney. It’s also a fact that you're most likely to need to use your CPR skills on one of your own family members.
If you’d like to learn life-saving CPR skills, free of charge, sign up to attend the Marion Community CPR Class on February 17, 2024. Marion Fire Department professionals will be the trainers.
There will be two sections of the training. The first part, which will take about 90 minutes, will teach hands-only CPR. It is the most important CPR technique for a bystander to know and use on a victim. It keeps blood flowing until professional medical technicians arrive.
The second part of the training will teach the assisted breathing technique that is required for Heartsaver certification from the American Heart Association. If you need the certificate you’ll need to stay for the breathing training and pay $30. All training will conclude by 12:00 noon.
Infant CPR and AED (defibrillator) training will be part of the class.
The Rotary Club of Linn County is again helping to organize the CPR class. “One of our missions is to make our communities safer and healthier for all residents,” says Katie Wilford, Rotary Club of Linn County President. “Helping get more people trained in life-saving CPR skills is one way we can do that. Area businesses, churches, schools, senior centers, government offices, sports venues, and other public places need to have people trained in CPR. And your own home needs that, too.”
This will be the third year for the Community CPR class in Marion. The Rotary Club of Linn County has facilitated CPR classes for over 250 people in total over the last several years.