Hands Only CPR class at the Dana L. Lyon School in Bath

Life savers can come in many different shapes, sizes and ages. 88 sixth and seventh graders at Dana L. Lyon Middle School in Bath recently became potential life savers when they learned how to perform hands-only CPR as part of the “10,000 Links in the Chain of Survival program.”  Started in January of this year by Rural Health Community Systems, Inc.(RHCS), and contributing partners the American Heart Association and the Greater Steuben Chapter of the American Red Cross, the program’s goal is to teach CPR to 10,000 Steuben County residents over a three-year period, culminating at the end of December 2013.

Arthur Jones, Coordinator of Network Initiatives for RHCS, assisted by Char Silliman, a Kanona Fire Department EMT spent the day at the Dana L. Lyon school and taught six Middle School classes how to perform hands-only CPR.

“I learned how to do CPR,” said one student after completing the forty minute class. “I now know what two things I have to do during CPR. You have to call 911 and push hard on the chest.”

The students were given a firsthand account on how CPR works from Silliman, who actually suffered a heart attack when she returned from an ambulance call a few years ago while she was with the Bath Ambulance Corps.  She said she was lucky to have been at the ambulance garage when it happened. “I died and they brought me back,” she said. “If it wasn’t for CPR, I wouldn’t be here to help teach this class.”

Jones, an EMT for thirty-eight years, was hosting a booth on the 10,000 links program and hands-only CPR at the Steuben County Fair when he was approached by Barb McDowell, health teacher at the Dana L. Lyon Middle School in Bath.

I had never heard of the program before,” said McDowell. “I always wanted to teach my students CPR but it seemed so difficult to transport the manikins to the classroom that I never really looked into it until I heard about this program.”

McDowell said that this went so well and the students were so enthusiastic that she is eager to bring the program to her eighth grade students as well.

A student said at the end of the class, “I enjoyed learning chest compression because now I know how to save a life – maybe.”

While still another reported, “I learned a lot from this experience. I’m glad to be part of the 10,000 Links.”

And another student summed it up, saying that he learned “To take charge and say ‘you call 911’ then push hard and fast in the middle of the chest. And I learned that you can only help someone by doing CPR. And I learned that you have to push harder on an adult chest than a child’s chest.”

Over 300,000 people die of a heart attack every year in the United States before they ever reach a hospital. Over 300 cardiac arrests occur in Steuben County.  And only one in five people in need of CPR actually make it to the hospital in time. That number can be lessened if more people become the first link in the chain of survival. The chain of survival in simple terms is: Call 911, Perform CPR until an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) is available and/or EMS staff arrive on scene. Communities that have implemented the Chain of Survival, including a large number of citizens trained in CPR have achieved survival rates of 37% in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The national average is 6-10% and most communities are even less.

Every minute counts.  Sudden cardiac arrest can be a survivable event, especially if CPR is started right away. According to RHCS, without immediate CPR, the chance of surviving such a heart attack drops by 10% per minute from the onset of the event. If help takes more than ten minutes to arrive, the chance of survival is minimal. But if someone on scene calls 911 and immediately begins CPR, even if it is just hands only ‘hard and fast’ chest compressions, the chance for survival is increased.

Those interested in being certified in CPR may contact the Greater Steuben Chapter of the American Red Cross or go to the RHCS website www.10000LinksCPR.org for class schedules.

“Studies by the American Heart Association have found some people may be “put off’ by CPR and concerned about the transmission of disease because of having to do mouth to mouth breathing along with chest compressions,” said Jones. “However, CPR isn’t what is used to be.  It is OK to just do chest compressions. Push Hard! Push Fast! One hundred compressions per minute!” He said it is easy to remember, if you do it to the rhythm of the Bee Gee’s song “Stayin’ Alive.”

Here is the bottom line - CPR can save a life. And thanks to the efforts of Dana L. Lyon principal Michael Siebert and Health Teacher Barb McDowell Steuben County now has an additional 88 potential life savers.

Any groups, clubs or organizations that would like to learn hands-only CPR may contact Jones, at Rural Health Community Systems, Inc. in Bath or go to www.rhcsys.org