Emergency Preparedness Committee: Fall CPR Class Recap

The above photos were taken at our AED/CPR/First Aid class held in the Niguel Shores clubhouse on Saturday, Oct 26 and attended by a dozen residents. It was our third class and, as with the first two, got enthusiastic reviews by the participants. WHY? Because it provided hands-on training on LIFE SAVING techniques using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and a number of procedures to administer first aid.
Aside from attending one of our certified classes (we will conduct another one at the beginning of 2016), what should you know to be prepared for life threatening situations in or away from home?
CPR: many people think that by doing CPR we can bring a person back, or start the heart. It is very rare for CPR alone to start the heart. The purpose of CPR is to stop the dying process and “buy time” so that brain damage does not occur before EMS (Emergency Medical Service) arrives for the victim. When encountering a person you believe has suffered a heart attack it is IMPERATIVE to start compression squeezes IMMEDIATELY along with calling 911 and providing rescue breaths to supply enough oxygen to sustain the victim’s life.
If there is an AED available nearby, ask someone to retrieve it immediately and use it in conjunction with CPR.
The AED is never used by itself. The AED is completely automated and will give an audible voice instruction to the user on how to turn the power on, connect the pads/electrodes, it will analyze the victim’s heart rhythm and then advise if a shock is to be delivered by the AED.
Niguel Shores has an AED just inside the main door to our Clubhouse on the wall and you should familiarize yourself with its location (we are planning the purchase of another unit next year). While the use of CPR and an AED are relatively intuitive, there is no substitute for taking a hands-on class and becoming familiar with the techniques should a life saving emergency occur.
The additional class content was a thorough review of various FIRST AID steps that ranged from choking (Heimlich maneuver), serious allergic reactions (how to use an epinephrine pen), stroke, what to do if a person is suffering from low blood sugar (unresponsive diabetic), seizures, shock, visible bleeding, heat-related emergencies and the list goes on….
PLEASE, don’t think someone else will be there to respond to necessary actions in various emergencies. Arm yourself with the knowledge and training to administer LIFE SAVING ASSISTANCE to a family member, neighbor, or stranger. The
Internet could keep if you are busy 24/7 with tips, training, etc., BUT, why don’t you take one of our upcoming classes and experience a new knowledge and comfort level of EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS??
—Kent Wellbrock