Everyone
has heard the old saying “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” While
that may be the truth in many cases, for Brentwood Fire and Rescue Firefighters
it may be more apt to say “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.
Firefighters have long understood that a strong public education program is a
cornerstone of a safer community.
Each
Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department fire engine is equipped with lifesaving
equipment. The trucks have everything from defibrilators and drugs to oxygen
and bandaids. The crew members that staff these trucks are highly trained and
experienced in providing advanced life support and dealing with emergency
situations. When they are alerted to an emergency situation, they respond
quickly and put their training and tools to the test.
But
what if you are there when an emergency happens? What if the person in the
office next to yours or in the ahead of you at the checkout of the grocery
store has a heart attack? Did you know that bystander CPR (that is, CPR performed
before the fire department or ambulance arrives) can double or even triple a
person’s chances of survival?
Recently a group of Brentwood
Firefighters taught a class on CPR to the Deaf Congregation at Brentwood
Baptist Church. The firefighters, through the aid of signers, were able to
teach the class what to do in an emergency, how to properly use a
bag-valve-mask and defibrillator as well as perform CPR on infants, children
and adults.
Many people are reluctant to
perform CPR on a stranger, thinking that they would have to give them
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. As the members of the church learned, this isn’t
the case. Studies have shown that only giving the chest compressions of CPR is
highly effective and will greatly improve the chances of a victim having a
positive outcome, which is why the American Heart Association promotes ‘Hands-Only’
CPR.
The congregation was also instructed on how to properly handle a
choking emergency. Here, firefighters demonstrate how to properly perform the
Heimlich maneuver.
The members of the church were encouraged to practice their
skills at various stations. By the end of the course, everyone who wanted to
had a chance to perform CPR on a variety of manikins. Everyone left that
evening feeling more confident in their abilities to help out in case of
emergency.
Brentwood Fire and Rescue would like to remind you that in
the event of a medical emergency, the first step should be to dial 911. If you
have any questions about Hands-Only CPR please visit The
American Heart Association’s CPR Webpage , Brentwood Fire and Rescue or call
us at (615)715-9354.
