Have you ever witnessed someone in cardiac arrest, wishing that you could actually do something to help?

Well now is your chance. As a Hilbert College student you are eligible for CPR/AED training.

On behalf of Campus Safety, Officer John Bailie is offering a course for said training.

“We will be offering the Hilbert College Community ideally after Easter Break, for free, in small exclusive groups.”

According to Health & Safety Institute the human brain can only survive, four to six minutes without oxygen. After six minutes irreversible brain damage can occur and possibly even death. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and it is a technique that is used to slow the process of brain death by restarting the heart and getting a person to start breathing again.

CPR is needed when someone goes into cardiac arrest, when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly. According to the American Heart Association about 10,000 incidents of cardiac arrest occur at work each year, and about 92% of victims die before even reaching the hospital.

Bailie said people can cause additional harm when they perform CPR incorrectly.

“Broken ribs and sternum, vomiting, stomach distension, and brain damage,” Bailie said.

Bailie said the classes last less than two hours.

“It takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes depending on the student,” he said.

When CPR might not be working, one might have to start to use an automated external defibrillator, commonly referred to as an AED. The need to know how to use an AED is just as important as learning CPR, Bailie said.

If you are interested in learning CPR and how to use an AED you can reach out to Campus Safety or Bailie.

They will be offering this opportunity to all students in small groups throughout this semester, ideally any time after Easter Break. All you need to do is reach out to Bailie at jbailie@hilbert.edu.