Is Save Lives Sonoma certifying people in CPR?
No. Certification in CPR is not required for a lay person to provide hands-only CPR to a cardiac arrest patient. Health professionals are required to have certification, but our program is aimed at lay people who just need to know how to save a life. If you are interested in becoming certified in CPR, please contact Save Lives Sonoma partners for class availability.
What is Hands-Only CPR?
Hands-only CPR is an easy-to-learn lifesaving technique for heart attack victims that does not require official certification. When cardiac arrest occurs, every minute that passes without CPR intervention can dramatically decrease a victim’s chance of survival. There are 2 easy steps to hands-only CPR
1) Call 911 or have someone nearby call 911
2) Begin pushing hard and fast (think to the beat of “Staying Alive” or “Another One Bites the Dust”) on the victim’s chest
It is our initiative at Save Lives Sonoma to educate people on how to deliver the chest compressions.
Why teach hands-only CPR?
The greatest merit of teaching this lifesaving technique is that it is extremely easy to learn and remember. While CPR that includes mouth-to-mouth breaths is effective, the ease of teaching hands-only CPR makes this technique more accessible to the masses. Immediately after a heart attack occurs, there is still oxygen in the bloodstream, and artificially pumping the heart with chest compressions can help that oxygen get to the brain and reduce the risk of brain damage while waiting for paramedics to arrive.
Cardiac arrests occur at anytime, often in a home setting where there might only be one family member close enough to the victim to be able to administer CPR. Save Lives Sonoma’s goal is to educate as many people as possible–including children and teenagers–in hands-only CPR to increase the odds that a bystander to a cardiac arrest will take action to save a life.
How can I help?
To help Save Lives Sonoma in its efforts to increase the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest you can volunteer your time and effort and/or make a tax deductible donation. Contact us to learn more about our latest volunteer opportunities.
Do I need to be a certified CPR instructor to volunteer with Save Lives Sonoma?
No. Because we are not providing a certification, anyone can teach hands-only CPR. Whether you are a medical professional, EMS responder or involved community member you can teach someone to save a life. We need people from all walks of life to engage and help us increase the survival rate of those people in our community who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest. We will train anybody interested in learning how to teach hands-only CPR.