By Amanda Amsel
Staff Writer
The Prairie Township Fire Department is once again offering its Family and Friends CPR Class and encouraging township residents to take advantage of this free service.
“Every other month we continue to offer this free CPR class and really encourage township residents to take advantage of it,” said Lt. Matt Heinlein, CPR coordinator for the fire department. “To date, we have only had one class because we have not had enough township residents interested, so we really hope more people will sign up.”
With a minimum of five people needed for a class, they typically last two to three hours. These non-certified classes teach students how to perform CPR on infants, children and adults. Heinlein said participants will learn how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, use an AED machine and perform CPR.
“It is important that people know how to do these things because the quicker you start chest compression the better the outcome for the person you are helping,” Heinlein said. “Right now, our response time is four to six minutes and in situations like this, every second matters.”
Besides the free CPR class, the township also teaches paid certification classes. These classes are for healthcare professionals, lifeguards, babysitters and others who need certification for their jobs. While the cost of these classes depend on who the teacher is and how many students there are, it usually ranges from $35 to $75, according to Heinlein.
To register for the Family and Friends CPR Class through the Prairie Township Fire Department or learn about the paid certification classes, call Lt. Matt Heinlein at 878-7100 or email him at mheinlein@ptfdfire.com.
