While others celebrate Valentine’s Day with loved ones, Minto and area residents will be learning to save lives.
Earlier this month Deputy-Mayor Judy Dirksen encouraged participation in the Family and Friends CPR training that happens on Feb. 14 from 9am to noon at the Harriston Fire Hall.
A free training kit worth $35 will be provided to the first 100 people to register. The free mass training event, is hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario in partnership with Guelph-Wellington Emergency Medical Service (formerly Royal City Ambulance), Minto Fire Department, K&L Health Care Consultants Inc. and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Organizers stated residents do not need to be a doctor to save a life.
One of the unique aspects of this training session in CPR-AED training is that all participants will receive a free Heart and Stroke Foundation CPR Anytime Family & Friends training kit – an innovative, bilingual program designed to teach the core skills of CPR in just 22 minutes.
Learning how to perform CPR takes little time and could help someone during an emergency, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation has made it simple. Cardio pulmonary resuscitation can be a vital link in saving the life of someone in cardiac arrest and anyone can learn it. Participants will also receive a level-A CPR card upon completing the 3-hour session.
According to the foundation, 40,000 Canadians experience cardiac arrest each year, the majority of which occur either at home or in public places. A recent study found that where people live might affect their chances of survival after cardiac arrest, but, learning CPR could help raise survivor numbers all across North America. Researchers found the survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests varied from as low as 3% to as high as 16.3%, depending on the province or state.
For every minute that passes without help, a person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest drops by about 10%. Learning CPR is easy. When CPR is combined with the prompt use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), the chance for survival can go up to 50% or more.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation urges all Canadians to learn CPR. In addition to becoming familiar with CPR, participants will also learn how to use Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) that can also be a life-saver if used on someone in cardiac arrest.
“We hope as many people as possible can come out for this free CPR training clinic,” said Sandy Smith, Assistant Chief of EMS.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada sets the Canadian Guidelines for CPR, defibrillation and other aspects of emergency cardiovascular care in Canada.
Enrollment for the event is limited. To register, call 519-787-2506 or email kieran.ballah@wightman.ca.
