CPR is a lifesaving skill for teens to learn

REBEKAH LAY staff writer

CPR, a life saving technique, saves and can save, many people who would otherwise die…and schools should teach it.

The life saving skill, known as CPR, is used when a person’s heart goes into cardiac arrest, which means that the heart has stilled and is not pumping blood the way it should. According to the CDC website (Three things to know about CPR), 9 out of 10 people who have gone into cardiac arrest while away from the hospital pass away, though CPR can double and even triple the chances of survival.

CPR is used to help a person suffering from cardiac arrest by forcing and keeping blood flow active, and this life saving technique can give opportunity for medical staff such as EMT’s to arrive.

Ryan Conrad, Science Dept. member, was an EMT/Firefighter for 15 years and is currently an American Heart Association CPR

Where to learn:

American Red Cross - Online and In-Person training is available.

American Heart Association - Online and In-Person training is available.

instructor, who teaches CPR to schools, businesses, and other medical providers. “It would be in the community’s best interest to educate all public high school students to ensure that most of the public learns the basics of these life saving skills.”

Since knowledge of these life saving skills are important to keep a person alive, it is vital to have hands-on experience to put those skills into use. Conrad states, “CPR education has come a long way as there are some very good learning resources available in the form of mannequin feedback devices that let you know if your chest compression depth and rate is adequate.” Since there are devices to practice good form, ensuring that it is being performed correctly, then it seems vital that these technologies are open for the public so that everybody can learn CPR. Students learning CPR will gain lifelong knowledge that may one day save a life.

According to citizencpr.org “CPR in Schools,” “Empowering all youth with CPR and AED training in school will dramatically increase the number of first responders in communities each year and save lives.”

Even though many youth may not encounter a time where they will need to use CPR, it is better to be overly prepared instead of not prepared at all. For further information on CPR and other life saving techniques, organizations such as the American Heart Association and the Red Cross are helpful not only for information, but for training as