USU hopes to break world record in CPR training
An attempt to break the record for the most CPR certifications in one day has been planned by the Utah State University’s president’s ambassadors and the Red Cross for Wednesday, March 24, in the Spectrum.
The event will be part of Cache County Emergency Preparedness Week taking place March 22 to 27 and will begin at 6 p.m. Organizers are hoping to certify at least 3,000 people in adult CPR.
“CPR certification is important because it really has the potential to save lives,” said Kelly Turner, a representative for the Cache Valley American Red Cross. “CPR is something everyone can learn to administer. Sometimes help can’t get there right away. Everyone should have the responsibility to learn this. We might be able to save someone.”
The current record for the number of CPR certifications is 2,121 and is held by Bernando Middle School in Los Angeles, Calif. Trent Porter, a president’s ambassador helping to plan the event and a senior tri-majoring in economics, finance, and accounting, said the “Guinness Book of World Records” has been notified of the event and the necessary documentation will take place to make sure the event receives the recognition it deserves.
Around 1,000 people have already registered and about 150 instructors will be available to insure some individual attention, Turner said.
“CPR is something that can be used anywhere, anytime,” said president’s ambassador Bethany Christensen, a senior majoring in public relations and political science.
While large disasters like earthquakes and terrorist attacks are not things that occur often, she said, CPR is something that can be used to help in everyday emergencies.
Turner said a person’s chances of surviving cardiac arrest are greatly increased if CPR is administered in the first 10 minutes.
Currently, only 7 percent of Cache Valley is CPR certified, Porter said.
Those wanting to participate can register by contacting the Cache County American Red Cross at 752-1125 or by registering at the door. Anyone 11 years of age or older is invited to participate. Registration is $15 for USU students, 75 percent less than the certification would normally cost, Turner said.
The CPR event is just one part of an entire week planned to help educate the valley about emergency preparedness that will also include a blood drive and a mock disaster, Christensen said.
“We want to help people become more prepared for any emergency situation whether it’s in their own home with a choking child or a disaster like an earthquake with power outages, or water lines not working,” she said. “We basically want to help people be prepared.”
According to Roxanna King, executive director of the Cache Valley American Red Cross, the week will “empower all Cache County residents to complete these five simple steps so that they are prepared for an emergency” including building a kit, making a plan, getting trained, volunteering and giving blood.
Christensen said it was hard to come up with a plan for a week including all the services they felt were important to get to the community.
Other events next week include a benefit concert and a race, said Jarom Burbank, a president’s ambassador and a junior in the pre-med program. Burbank also said 72-hour kits and other first aid items will be available at the different events for students and the community to purchase.
The mock disaster will take place at 9 a.m. at the David B. Haight Alumni Center on Thursday, March 25, in order for paramedics and police to practice their skills, Turner said. Burbank said the disaster will most likely be an earthquake with “victims” being transported to the LDS Institute of Religion where the Red Cross will be setting up shelters. Turner said she hopes this experience will allow people to see what needs to occur in an emergency situation and where they can go if they need help.
“We believe preparation replaces fear,” Porter said. “We want to take the fear out of a disaster situation and let people know where and how to function during a disaster.”
The organization of this week came out of the desire from the president’s ambassadors to be involved with a service project involving the entire community. While the main focus of the week will be around the CPR certification, Burbank said he hopes the community will take advantage of the other opportunities to become more prepared.
“I feel that we really need an increased awareness of what natural disasters could happen,” he said. “From what I understand, only 7 percent of people in Cache Valley are certified to help out if something were to happen. When Sept. 11 happened people came and flooded the city trying to help out but because they weren’t certified the officials couldn’t allow them to help. I think it’s so important that we are prepared for whatever might happen.”
Porter said he feels the week is valuable because it will focus on all types of emergency preparedness and not just CPR.
“When I was 16, I was in a roll-over car accident and I almost lost my leg. My leg was cut from mid-femur to calf,” Porter said. “I have my leg because my mom had all the first aid items we needed in the car.”
Porter said his mom’s preparedness was partly due to the education and training his brother had received as a Boy Scout. Porter said the same kind of education will be made available to the community next week.
“One reason we wanted it to be a week-long event is so we could incorporate other events such as the blood drive and the mock disaster,” Porter said.
“I think that all of the events are important – that any one of those people can learn so much,” Turner said. “I’m hoping with the CPR certification people will be able to learn a skill that they will use soon, a skill they didn’t have before, and be able to use it to save a life.”
While there are no plans yet for a similar week next year, Christensen said she is hopeful that weeks like this will continue so people will have a chance to re-certify and continue to become more prepared.
Turner said she hopes the week will give the community more exposure to the Red Cross and some of the other classes in preparedness they offer.
“Students need to know that we are here for them,” she said. “Take advantage of us.”
The blood drive will take place at the LDS Institute from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. A benefit concert featuring lokalgrown, Jasmine Michaelson and Rachel Youngs will be held in the Taggart Student Center at 7:30 on Friday, March 26. Tickets are $3 per person and $5 per couple, Porter said. The final event for the week will be a 5K, 10K Run-Walk starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Cache County American Red Cross building. For more information about events and how to purchase tickets, contact the Red Cross at 752-1125.
“It is so important [students] get involved,” Porter said. “We hope we never experience a disaster, but skills people will gain from participating and going to the CPR certification will save lives.”
-bnelson@cc.usu.edu