CPR Training in the Hudson Valley
The Super Bowl is this Sunday, but regardless of whether you are a football fan or not, you probably paid attention to the sport after the stunning incident surrounding Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills during a Monday Night Football broadcast in January. During the regular season match against the Cincinnati Bengals, after what seemed like a routine tackle, Hamlin, the 24-year-old safety for the Bills, stood up and then collapsed backwards onto the turf. Trainers and medical staff on-site rushed the field to attend to Hamlin, performing chest compressions while cameras rolled during the national broadcast, leaving his teammates, his opponents, otherwise-chatty commentators and millions of spectators, in shock.
Hamlin continues to recover at home after extensive care in the hospital, and most importantly, after the rapid response by medical staff.
“This was traumatic for everyone, especially Hamlin’s family and teammates, but also for so many others involved and witnessing the event,” said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. “More than 70-percent of cardiac arrests that do not happen in the hospital, occur in a home where access to medical professionals and an AED is not as readily available.”
“Recognizing a cardiac arrest, calling 911 immediately, performing CPR and using an AED as soon as it is available are critical for survival. Statistically speaking, it is likely that the person will need to be helped by a family member or a friend in order to survive.”
For adults and adolescent children, the American Heart Association says that Hands-Only CPR is an easy-to-learn skill that requires only two steps: call emergency services, and push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute.
If you’re looking to learn basic CPR, the Red Cross offers a searchable database to find a class led by trained professionals, including online classes: https://www.redcross.org/local/new-york/take-a-class/cpr
For those aspiring to be EMTs, or if you need EMT recertification, training sessions will take place at Northern Dutchess Hospital’s EMS Headquarters in Rhinebeck beginning on Monday, February 27, 2023. Training sessions take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9:30pm. A practical exam is scheduled for Saturday, June 3, 2023 and the final day of training is June 15, 2023. Upon passing the practical exam and completing the course, students will be eligible for the New York State written exam, and if that is passed, they will gain designation as a certified EMT in New York State and will be able to work in that role immediately.
“This is a professional path that is deeply fulfilling, and we look forward to meeting this next cohort of aspiring EMTs,” said Mark Browne, Paramedic, President and Chief Operating Officer at NDP EMS.
Pre-registration for the EMT training program is required, and space is limited. Fees are covered by the State for registrants who are sponsored by a New York State certified EMS agency, such as NDP EMS. Otherwise, the cost of the NDP EMS EMT training program is $700 per person (plus textbook and online testing fees). For more information, call Cheryl Hilbrandt at NDP EMS: 845-876-0448 ext.136 or email: chilbrandt@ndpems.com.
Update: The Town of Clinton will host a free half-hour Hands-On CPR workshop at the East Clinton Firehouse on February 18, 2023. Register here: https://forms.gle/jZTi28kpa8xx7XAJ6
