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CPR Training Should Be on Your List

[October 2013] CPR – Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation – is something you hear about all the time. But in an emergency at your transmitter site, would you know what to do? You should.

CPR training is something that most of us have heard about, but many of us seem never quite got around to doing. On the other hand, once you have taken the classes, you are in a good position to be of assistance in all sorts of situations.

CPR can save a person’s life. When someone is in distress CPR can bridge the space of time until medical assistance can arrive.

It is not that hard to take the classes and get certified. In most areas, the classes are provided through the Red Cross. Details can be found on line. Some learn CPR as part of learning to swim as a youngster – and keep taking refresher courses throughout their lives.

In many cases, the class is a single four-hour session. Some of the classes are even taught on line, but some folks recommend a “hands on” experience is best.

The Red Cross usually recommends refresher courses from time to time.

The cost? Anywhere from a nominal cost of $20 to $100 and all the way down to free under some local programs. Every radio station with more than a few employees should have at least one person who is trained in CPR.

There really should be no question of station management paying for this training. Especially when staff is out in the field as at a transmitter site or a remote, having a CPR-trained person can easily be the difference between life and death while awaiting the emergency services – well worth the years of certifying and re-certifying. It could even be the GM’s life that gets saved.

We hope to add to this article some real life experiences from broadcasters. If you would like to share, contact us at editor@theBDR.net