What would you do if you were in the food court at the mall and the man in front of you suddenly collapses?  That was the scenario facing Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) students from North Harris College.

The “crisis” was part of a CPR for Healthcare Provider class hosted by Harris County Emergency Corps (HCEC) for students enrolled in North Harris’ EMT-Basic Program on February 5, 2016. The course was monitored and approved for quality in clinical material and instruction by a member of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Regional Faculty.

The AHA reports that when someone stops breathing or their heart stops beating, they can survive for only 4 to 6 minutes before lack of oxygen results in brain damage or death.  By doing CPR you can extend that time by artificially circulating oxygen to the brain.

Statistics show that the earlier CPR is initiated, the greater the chance of survival. The AHA estimates that 100,000 to 200,000 lives of adults and children could be saved each year if CPR was performed early enough.  The students were trained to perform CPR on babies and adults.

HCEC offers training and certification for the workplace and first responders, school staff and healthcare providers as well as the general public. If you’re interested in making your office, home, school or community safer by learning lifesaving techniques, go to the HCEC website for a list of various classes available throughout the year: https://hcec.com/outreach-education/online-class-booking/