NEW BETHLEHEM \u2013 Rural areas are in the midst of an emergency medical services crisis, and one New Bethlehem man is hoping that by putting basic CPR and first aid skills into the hands of more people, lives can be saved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want people to know some basic things that can save a life,\u201d Scott Barrett said.<\/p>\n
A longtime firefighter and EMT, Barrett began offering affordable CPR classes once a month in January at the New Bethlehem Fire Hall.<\/p>\n
Barrett said he is averaging around six to eight people per class, and said that while he can accommodate larger numbers, he plans to continue with the classes as long as people keep signing up.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel everyone in the area should know how to do CPR and first aid,\u201d he said of the classes. \u201cWe make it very hands-on and interactive.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that while the local area is fortunate to have its ambulance service, as well as several Quick Response Services (QRS) offered by local fire departments, there can still be a sometimes long delay from the time of cardiac arrest or another emergency to when professional help arrives.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing is to stay with the person,\u201d Barrett said. He noted that everyone from teenagers to the elderly can help in a crisis situation. \u201cStay on the phone [with 911]; keep giving updates until help arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n
For those with training, he said, CPR efforts can be live saving. And with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) becoming more prevalent, he said the training on those devices in his class can also help keep a person alive until crews arrive.<\/p>\n
Barrett said that in addition to CPR and AED training, the one-time course also provides first aid skills, such as the proper way to perform the Heimlich maneuver on someone who is choking, as well as dealing with minor wounds and bleeding, how to help people experiencing seizures, strokes and low blood sugar, and even how to deal with animal bites and ticks.<\/p>\n
The class, which offers a two-year certification from the American Safety and Health Institute, uses modern CPR mannequins that show blood flow to major organs, and have a steel rib case.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like a real rib cage,\u201d Barrett said, noting that the mannequins provide a more real-life experience.<\/p>\n
He explained the class also utilizes a Heimlich vest for hands-on training.<\/p>\n
Barrett said the two- to three-hour class costs $40, and that if there are any updates in the future, if will provide them for free.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s $40 to learn to save a life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Barrett, who worked as an EMT for a number of years, said he continues to provide CPR classes for New Bethlehem firefighters, as well as classes for staff at Sugarcreek Rest Home.<\/p>\n
He noted he also offers the classes to local churches and other organizations in order to get as many people trained as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never turn anyone away for a class,\u201d he said, noting that the classes are also important for teenagers, especially those who babysit. He said he generally limits the classes to those age 16 and older, but can make exceptions for younger teens if they are serious about it and stay off their phones during the training.<\/p>\n
Although the topic is literally life or death, Barrett said he keeps the classes light and geared toward hands-on and fun learning.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody has a good time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The next class will be held Wednesday, May 27, at the New Bethlehem Fire Hall starting at 7 p.m. To sign up, call or text Barrett at (814) 229-4793.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW BETHLEHEM \u2013 Rural areas are in the midst of an emergency medical services crisis, and one New…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":192191,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[85564,153,155,154,85563,12697,57395,42486,57394,4032,74253,1057,60462,12695,294,7363],"class_list":["post-192190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-automated-external-defibrillator","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-cardiopulmonary-resuscitation","tag-clinical-medicine","tag-critical-emergency-medicine","tag-emergency-medical-services","tag-emergency-medicine","tag-emergency-services","tag-first-aid","tag-health","tag-medical-emergencies","tag-medical-specialties","tag-public-safety","tag-safety"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}