NEWS
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CPR/AED Classes Open to the Public
Sunnyvale, CA (9/17/01) – The City of Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation Department is
offering a series of classes that will teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) skills. Residents of all cities are offered the
opportunity to learn and practice adult CPR skills, rescue breathing and
clearing an obstructed airway. Students
will also learn how to prevent heart disease and use an automated external
defibrillator. The four-hour evening
classes will be held from September 19 to October 26, 2001. Graduates of the classes will earn an Adult
CPR with AED Skills certification, which is valid for one year.
A sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can happen to anyone,
anywhere, often without warning. The
only effective treatment in the event of SCA is to deliver a tailored, low
“dose” of electricity to jolt the heart to a normal rhythm. To be effective, defibrillation must be
delivered within the first few critical minutes of a cardiac arrest. AEDs rapidly and automatically assess the
victim’s heart rhythm and safely determine specific therapy decisions.
The Sunnyvale public access defibrillation program
began in 1998, and has since become a model for other cities considering such
programs. “The key to the success of a
public access defibrillation program is the participation of the community. The more rapidly defibrillation occurs, the
better the patient’s chance of survival.
Members of the public are in the position to deliver this lifesaving
therapy in the shortest time frame,” according to Steve Drewniany, coordinator
of Sunnyvale’s public access defibrillation program.
He added, “Through the City’s programs, a number of
lives have been saved by the use of an AED.
One of the survivors has become a catalyst in the development of AED
legislation in our State.” Sunnyvale
now offers CPR/AED education to all interested. Call (408) 730-7341 for class dates and times. Taking one of these classes could save the
life of someone you love.
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