Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Fire company debuts community CPR class
Longwood Fire Company’s EMS Division will soon kick off its first ever community CPR education program.
EAST MARLBOROUGH » Summer’s coming and, along with the good times, an increase in cardiac emergencies can be expected – which is one reason Longwood Fire Company’s EMS Division next week will kick off its first ever monthly community CPR education program.
Summer activities – like swimming, basketball, golfing, and other sports – almost invariably bring about situations that turn into cardiac emergencies, said Matthew Eick, Longwood’s EMS captain. For example, he noted, “we have three swimming pools in our coverage area where lifeguards are needed. It’s imperative that these lifeguards know how to perform CPR in the event of emergencies. It’s also the time of the year when families go on vacation, often leaving children in the care of baby-sitters. Here, too, it’s urgent that the baby-sitters know CPR.”
To address these issues, Longwood’s EMS Division will conduct the American Heart Association’s Heart Saver program, a four-hour class, starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, and continuing on the third Wednesday of every month thereafter. Instruction will be provided by eight Longwood EMS eight members who are qualified in cardiac pulmonary resuscitation.
The purpose of the program, Eick stressed, “is to empower the community to be prepared to take immediate action when cardiac incidents occur. Prompt action will always increase the chances for survival.”
During the course, participants will not only learn CPR, Eick pointed out, “they will also learn how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), which is an important equipment to have on hand at a swimming facility, a school gymnasium, a house of worship or an office setting.”
All adults, 18 or over, are encouraged to sign up for the course, said Eick. Cost of participation is $45, which covers certification, the instructor and course material. Upon completion of the four-hour class, participants will receive twoyear certifications.
In 2017, Longwood Fire Company Ambulance responded to 2231 emergency calls. Of these, 161 were for chest pain and 36 for cardiac arrests.