Once a month in Snoqualmie, Fall City and Sammamish, local residents can learn to save a life. Classes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and First Aid are regular offerings of the Snoqualmie Fire Department, Fall City Fire Department and all of the departments that are part of Eastside Fire and Rescue.
“We try to do our classes central to our service area,” said Eastside Fire spokesman Danny Evanger.
Snoqualmie and Eastside Fire both host CPR classes on the second Saturday of each month for most of the year. Snoqualmie’s doesn’t offer regular classes during the summer months, said Lt. Jake Fouts, but the department does give private sessions year-round, and instructors visit Snoqualmie Valley Schools three times each year to train students.
Each department offers the American Heart Association training, which includes a two-year certification. Each department also offers firefighter-instructors, maybe their strongest selling point.
Lt. Evanger cited a study that showed firefighters were the best emergency personnel at performing CPR, because they are called on to do it more often.
Lt. Fouts noted that “we put in that real-world experience — this is what could go wrong.” For example, he said “a lot of people don’t understand that when you do CPR, somebody’s going to vomit.”
They host smaller classes, which allow participants plenty of hands-on practice.
“The reality is we have enough people calling us, that our classes are pretty much full all the time,” said Fouts.
More people, and more types of people are interested in getting the training lately, prompting Eastside Fire instructors to consider adding another class offering each month.
So far it hasn’t been done, Evanger said, because they are concerned with making classes too small. “We try not to go over 15, but we often have classes over 20.”
The classes are open to anyone interested.
“We would never restrict anybody who wants to take CPR from taking it because they don’t live here,” said Evanger. “We want everyone to know how to do it. It’s those first people to put their hands on someone, who save their lives… because we’re 4 to 6 minutes out.”
In Snoqualmie:
Classes are offered on the second Saturday (CPR and First Aid) or second Tuesday (CPR only) of the month at the Snoqualmie Fire Station, 37600 S.E. Snoqualmie Parkway, Snoqualmie. Visit http://www.ci.snoqualmie.wa.us/CityDepartments/Fire/EducationPreparedness.aspx for the schedule.
Cost is $10 for CPR training, $25 for CPR and First Aid. Participants must be age 12 or older. To register, call or e-mail Fire Department Administrator Liz Luizzo, (425) 888-1551 or lluizzo@ci.snoqualmie.wa.us.
In Eastside Fire & Rescue:
Classes are the second Saturday of each month, at Station 83, 3425 Issaquah-Pine Lake Rd., Sammamish.
Cost is $30 for CPR only, $60 for CPR and First Aid. To register, stop by any fire station in the Eastside Fire & Rescue service area, call (425) 313-3200 or send email to cpr@esf-r.org.
In Fall City:
For information about Fall City Fire training, visit http://www.king27fire.com/public_ed.htm.
