On Tuesday, June 16th, the Village of Bridgeview Fire Department held a CPR Training Course for Village and Bridgeview Park District employees to improve emergency preparedness and provide lifesaving skills. Lieutenant Matt Duzak, Battalion Chief Mark Toczek, Firefighter/Paramedic Tony Roeback, and FF/PM Jim Nagel Jr. guided participants through the training exercises and answered questions along the way to ensure attendees could leave the course confident in their ability to perform CPR.
According to the American Heart Association, “In one year alone, 436,000 Americans die from a cardiac arrest.” CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and involves manually pumping blood through someone’s body to continue providing oxygen, the lack of which can be deadly in a very short time. Those who receive CPR during cardiac arrest have a higher chance of survival, doubling or even tripling the survival rate compared to those who don’t receive it.
During the CPR training course, attendees were required to watch training videos made by the American Heart Association. Each video explained relevant lifesaving skills, including how to properly manage choking, perform CPR, and use AEDs (automated external defibrillators) for situations involving adults, pregnant individuals, children, and infants.
After viewing training videos, each table was given CPR manikins and an AED trainer. Bridgeview Firefighters then demonstrated how to use the manikins and AED trainers before watching and assisting participants as they practiced CPR on the adult-sized and baby-sized manikins.
Lt. Duzak explicitly noted that “You will usually feel and hear the ribs crack during chest compressions, especially when administering compressions on an older individual. This is normal, and that injury is much less important than sending oxygen through someone’s body and restoring their pulse.”
To properly perform ideal CPR when alone, the American Heart Association says you must provide a ratio of 30 chest compressions to 2 rescue breaths for an adult. Chest compressions must be done at the center of a chest at a rate between 100 and 120 beats per minute. The depth of compressions should be at least 2 inches but no more than 2.4 inches for adults. The depth needed can vary depending on body type, however, and those performing CPR often do not press deep enough. Children similarly require chest compressions of about 2 inches, or one-third of their chest. If there are two rescuers present, the CPR changes to a 15 compression to 2 breaths ratio to efficiently provide more oxygen. It’s important for rescuers to switch roles (compressions vs. breaths) after five rounds of CPR to reduce fatigue and ensure high quality CPR can be maintained until emergency services arrive.
After completing the course, each attendee received an American Heart Association CPR certification that is valid for two years. Practicing and keeping your knowledge current is important for delivering quality CPR.
