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CPR/First Aid Classes And Automated External Defribillators Available From American Red Cross
Would you know what to do if a friend or family member was choking, bleeding, in shock, or suffering a heart attack? According to the American Red Cross in Greater New York (ARC/GNY), right now is the time for you to make a new year’s resolution that might help save someone’s life in 2007.
About 250,000 Americans — nearly one person every two minutes – dies from sudden cardiac arrest. Certification in CPR skills could help save the life of a family member, friend, co-worker, or stranger by preparing people to correctly and confidently respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies.
New procedures have been incorporated into the latest ARC/GNY cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses and new guidelines have been introduced to first aid courses that clearly indicate how responders with varying levels of emergency care training should proceed when treating victims for fractures, breathing difficulties and burns.
Red Cross CPR and first aid courses are offered frequently in the Putnam County/West Point area on weekdays, evenings and weekends. Learn more by calling the Putnam/ West Point Red Cross office at 845-938-4100, or reviewing the Red Cross course catalog at www.nyredcross.com .
Courses include adult/child/ infant first aid and CPR with an automated external defibrillator (AED) component. Additional courses are offered for professional responders. Several
courses are offered in Spanish. The American Red Cross encourages everyone to be trained and certified in first aid and CPR/AED. Training with a certified instructor helps ensure that the proper knowledge and skills have been learned to respond properly during an emergency. Standard first aid certification is for three years. CPR/AED-adult certification is for one year.
Sudden cardiac arrest, also known as a massive heart attack, can strike any one at any time. When AEDs are available and used quickly, the victim has an increased chance of survival. An AED should be evaluated for reliability, ease-of-use and its innovative technology. But having an AED is not enough. Employees and other personnel must be trained to use it correctly.
During January, AEDs manufactured by Medtronic, Phillips and Zoll will be displayed at the Red Cross Store in Manhattan, providing health care and safety officials from companies, schools, athletic clubs and other organizations with the opportunity to learn more about product features and proper applications. AED price range is $1,500 – 3,500. The Red Cross Store, located at 520 West 49th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues) in the lobby of ARC/GNY headquarters, is open to the public Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m. New York’s premier source for safety and preparedness information and materials, the store provides safety kits, “go bags”, books and teaching materials.
Many items also are available at the Putnam/West Point Red Cross office (Building 2104, Visitors Center, West Point HWY, a.k.a. New South Post Road, West Point) or online at www.nyredcross.org.
The American Red Cross in Greater New York is a key humanitarian partner and a vital participant in New York’s plans and programs to help the nine million people in New York City and Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Sullivan counties prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. ARC/ GNY provides immediate aid to more than 100,000 people affected by more than 3,000 emergencies a year, including fires, floods, building collapses and blackouts. Given the uncertainties of today’s world, the chapter is accelerating its collaboration with partner agencies to develop and implement readiness plans to respond to major natural and man-made disasters. The chapter also helps New York residents and businesses prepare for emergencies by offering hundreds of courses in first aid, CPR and aquatics, and free emergency preparedness training programs and resources. ARC/GNY is not a governmental organization and relies on individual and corporate gifts, special events and grants from foundations and local, state and federal government to fund its essential programs and services. For more information about volunteering, donating and training, call 1- 877 RED CROSS (1-877-733- 2767), or visit
www.nyredcross.org.
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