Students and staff members of Diamond Bar High School are just a few beats away from having the ability to save lives as they enroll in the school’s first Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and First Aid course.
“The more people who are aware, the better; it’s like having more eyes and ears around help you out when any situation comes up,” said DBHS’ athletic trainer Chase Paulson, the instructor of the course. The class, which was limited to 12 students and cost $40, was held on March 9 and 16 in the Chuckwagon.
During the first portion of the CPR and First Aid class, students learned basic CPR concepts and ways to identify an emergency situation. Paulson demonstrated the chain of survival, a series of crucial actions that can help a victim survive from incidents such as cardiac arrest.
Students then learned how to actually perform CPR, practicing the treatment on dummies with barrier masks and other essential equipment. They then studied different ways to perform CPR and learned various ways to respond to critical accidents.
Once they had finished practicing the CPR skills, the students moved on to study First Aid, in which they learned how to appropriately treat injuries and attend to critical medical situations. Participants of the class also became more aware of the possible emergency incidents that may occur if one has a medical condition, such as diabetes.
“[The class] was definitely worth taking. I took it because I’ve always wanted to be CPR certified, and I thought that knowing [CPR] will be useful if I were ever in a situation that required [it],” said a class participant Colleen Sam.
In order to pass the course, the students had to demonstrate their knowledge by performing various skills, such as chest compressions and rescue breaths. The participants also took a written test to earn the certification for the class.
DBHS athletic trainer Paulson has been a certified CPR and First Aid instructor for two years and has been CPR certified for five.
“I think this is a great opportunity for students and staff to learn and be prepared for any situation, to save lives. My motto is, ‘Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,’ so it is great that people are taking the first step to be prepared,” Paulson said. There will be another opportunity to participate in the CPR class on April 20 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Staff and students interested in the course can sign up by contacting Paulson through email.
