Photo: Madison Rogers/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Eighth grade students at the James F. Condon School in South Boston received CPR training on Thursday in an effort to teach the younger generation how they can keep their community safer.
February is American Heart Month. The goal is to raise awareness about heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States.
The course, which what had a big emphasis on acting quickly to save a life, was led by Boston EMS Deputy Superintendent Roger Hamlet. The school's gymnasium floor was lined with CPR dummies for students to train with.
“Getting the heartbeat in, getting the blood flowing in the system… which entails keeping that person able to be safe,” Hamlet said. “If we get them at an early enough time, we have a better chance of actually getting their heart to beat again.”
After cardiac arrest, bystanders with CPR knowledge are able to double, sometimes even triple, survival chances for the victim.
Students also learned tourniquet techniques and received a certificate from the course.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Madison Rogers (@madisonWBZ) reports.