Could you react quickly if someone near you suddenly collapsed from a heart attack? Nearly one-third of the student body at Waldport High School now know exactly what to do.
More than 60 students were trained in CPR and basic first aid over the 2016-17 school year, thanks in part to a donation of two CPR training kits from Samaritan Heart Center.
The goal of the donation, said Kim Montagne, nurse practitioner at Samaritan Heart Center, is to increase the number of people trained in CPR.
“We often see patients who have survived because of CPR performed by a friend, family member or stranger. It’s a vital skill for everyone to know, and it only takes 20 minutes to learn,” Montagne said.
The Institute distributed 15 training kits in Lincoln County schools, thanks to a grant from Samaritan Foundations.
Waldport science teacher Melissa Steinman and PE teacher Mike Moser integrated CPR training into their classes. The Samaritan donation included 20 inflatable CPR manikins for practice, which allows more students to get trained.
“With these kits, a whole class can participate at one time, experiencing the concepts as we talk about them, such as compression depth and chest recoil, while instructors can give feedback in the moment,” said Steinman. “Students come out of class feeling more confident that they could save a life.”
Waldport students demonstrated their new skills by staging a surprise “flash mob” in the principal’s office, calling out commands and practicing CPR compressions on their manikins.”
“They really enjoyed sharing their skills in that way,” said Steinman with a laugh. While the students like to have fun in practice, they are serious about real-life CPR.
“They realize how hard it is to do and hope they don’t ever have to do it,” Steinman said. “However, if we can teach every kid how to save lives, we really add value to the community.”