Would you know what to do if someone in your office, meeting, class, program, or even your home became unconscious and had no pulse? Five more members of UConn Hartford Extension Center would. Weston Forbes, Diane LaBonia, Marilyn Diaz, Mary-Margaret Gaudio, and Christine Smith, participated in a training course on December 14th and are now certified by the American Heart Association (AHA) in the HeartSaver® program in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator).
CPR is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning, in which someone’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped. The AHA recommends that everyone — lay people and medical personnel alike — begin CPR with chest compressions and to be trained in effective CPR. Knowledge and effective use of an AED increases good outcomes in the chain of survival of a victim in cardiac or respiratory arrest.
The five hour class was conducted by Cindy Tuttle, RN, a nurse educator at Concord Hospital in New Hampshire,
and a certified AHA instructor, and assisted by Bob Ricard, Senior Extension Educator, and an AHA instructor-in-training. The course was part of required training for staff from the CYFAR Tools for Healthy Living after school program.
Conducting this course for other Extension staff is also a goal of the UConn EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network) to increase workplace disaster and emergency preparedness.
For further information and details, contact Bob. (robert.ricard@uconn.edu)