The life you save may be one dear to you

Teachers, caregivers, babysitters, swim instructors, really all who work with minors, have to learn CPR, first aid, and other life-saving measures. Parents leave their children in the care of these people, but many forget who is ultimately responsible for their children, themselves.

Often times, it is only when something happens that people realize the importance of learning how to respond in an emergency; however, by then, it may be too late.

During the summer of 2010, the city of San Diego instituted a “Brown-Out” plan as part of their city-wide budget reduction. Of the 47 fire stations in the city, 34 of them have only one fire engine. Under the plan, the 13 stations with more than one apparatus wouldn’t always have multiple crews, and would only be fully staffed on a rotational basis.

Last July, a toddler, from the San Diego community of Mira Mesa, fatally choked on a gumball. In the news story I heard, the angle was slated towards the response time of the fire engine, nine and a half minutes, which was proposed to be an outcome of the Brown-Out plan.

I find cuts to public safety alarming, but what stood out to me the most about the story is not that emergency personal took longer than usual, but that so many people don’t know life-saving measures, especially parents.

According to Riverside County Fire Captain, Rick Griggs, the average national response time for a professional emergency responder is five minutes. However, without oxygen, severe brain damage can occur in four to six minutes.

As important as emergency personnel are, those at the scene before they arrive are the first link in the chain of survival.

It’s getting warmer, meaning more time will be spent around the water. I spent 10 summers working as a lifeguard and assisting in the teaching of lifeguard courses. Sometimes I notice I’m more aware of what is going on around the water, whether it be a pool, lake, or beach, than many of the parents there. This is partially because of the many heart-stopping close calls I have experienced.

It’s easy to not think about these things happening to us, and it’s too emotionally taxing to constantly worry about an emergency. The solution is to be prepared.

In an emergency, early access to CPR is key, said Griggs. The American Red Cross and the American Heart Association offer CPR and first aid courses year round in various surrounding towns.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been installed in dozens of locations in the greater Fallbrook area and they can buy valuable time while waiting for medical professionals to arrive. The AED delivers a shock to the heart and is crucial for cardiac arrest victims. Learning how to use one is simple and a mistake cannot be made with them, professionals say.

By taking a proactive stance and signing up for a CPR class or learning more about how an AED is used, the life you say may be that of a family member or dear friend.

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