As we near the end of February - American Heart Month comes to a close. But, the vital message behind the campaign remains as important as ever; heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
Statistics prove that immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.
That's where our Someone 2 Know comes in; Alma Marin teaches the lifesaving class - and is committed to offering CPR to as many northern Nevadans as possible
Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, known as CPR, combines chest compressions, and artificial ventilation; variations of the technique have been around since the 1700’s.
Modern CPR has saved millions of lives; and for REMSA's Alma Marin - that is what it's all about;
"Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time, so I want to motivate everybody in our community to act, in case there's a cardiac arrest"
Marin took her first CPR class more than 20 year ago and has been teaching it, full time for REMSA, for the last 15. And while we know CPR saves lives, Alma says less than half of heart attack victims receive by-stander CPR. Again, statistics prove that immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.
“So we need to increase that number to insure that everybody out in the community is getting bystander CPR when they have a cardiac arrest"
While many people have taken CPR classes, Marin says folks often hesitate to offer help because they are out of practice. So, refresher courses are key;
"We hopefully give them the confidence to react during a cardiac arrest, letting them know something is better than nothing, so let's practice and let's get you comfortable"
Marin teaches classes in English - and Spanish;
"Si, RCP y primeros auxilios”
Marin also makes sure materials are available in Spanish, as well.
"To ensure that everybody in any community is comfortable responding”.
When Alma started teaching in 2006, REMSA offered CPR just twice per month. As the Public Education Coordinator, Marin has grown the program offerings to 75 per month. Alma gives credit to the her team of dozens of instructors;
"They teach throughout the week, during the day, in the evening, on the weekends, we definitely couldn't do it without them"
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The costs for CPR classes at REMSA start at $45. There are no age requirements; even school children can receive certification.
For more information, click the link below
