For National Trauma Awareness Month, consider learning CPR and other lifesaving skills.

By Tim Poe, American Red Cross volunteer.

If someone near you went into cardiac arrest, could you respond? Could you step in and act? Every moment will count, as the chances for survival decrease 7-10% every minute that immediate CPR or use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) is delayed.

This is not a far-fetched scenario. Over 350,000 people in the US suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospitals each year, with a little over 70% happening in the home. Many of the roughly 10% who survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest do so because CPR was performed or an AED used within the first few minutes.

High-quality CPR has a significant impact on survival outcomes. In hospitals, survival rates increase to 21%.

May is National Trauma Awareness Month, calling attention to the need to prevent injuries and protect lives. Helping people prepare for, prevent, and respond to life-threatening events is among the American Red Cross’s key services, including classes for CPR and other life-saving skills.

To better understand these classes’ importance, I spoke with Angele Cassiday, who teaches Adult and Pediatric First Aid, CPR, AED, and Babysitting and Child Care. She has taught for 14 years, the last five with the Red Cross.

Angele said, “CPR is a very important skill to know, as cardiac arrest can happen without warning. The most important step is recognizing an emergency and dialing 911. That alone will make a huge difference.”

In some emergencies, however, Angele pointed out that “Too many of us do not know what to do after calling 911.”

“None of us know the odds that someone nearby will go into cardiac arrest, and it can happen without warning in any environment,” Angele said. To illustrate this, she mentioned Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest during a football game, as well as Lindsay’s Law, which helps raise awareness of the risks of cardiac arrest in youth athletes.

Several of Angele’s students have used their skills to save lives, from family members to one person’s boss.

For anyone considering taking a CPR, First Aid, or other lifesaving class, Angele highly recommends doing so, including signing up for pediatric classes. “Life is too short,” Angele said. “You need to be able to step in and help somebody whenever you can. Being able to save a life is just so important.”

Angele also recommended getting the Red Cross First Aid app. It is available here or by texting “GETFIRST” to 90999.

Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED courses will teach you how to perform CPR, help someone who is choking, control bleeding, respond to a heart attack, and more. Classes are offered in several formats, including online, instructor-led classroom, and blended with online content and an in-person skills session. On-site training is available for groups.

You can find more information on taking a CPR and other classes at redcross.org/take-a-class. In addition, Information on Hands-Only CPR in Eight Simple Steps is available here.