The Ocean City Fire Department’s ongoing efforts to instruct and certify Ocean City High School students in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and in the use of AEDs (automated external defibrillators) continues this month.
Classes are scheduled for 11:40 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Friday (Feb. 24) and 12:40 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 28). Members of the media are invited to learn more and to watch the students in action.
The push to educate students in CPR started as part of an effort to expand the focus of “Janet’s Law,” a bill that was enacted in memory of Janet Zelinski, an 11-year old New Jersey girl who died of sudden cardiac arrest following a cheerleading squad practice. In brief, Janet’s Law requires public schools to have automated external defibrillators for youth athletic events and to establish certain plans relating to sudden cardiac events. Ocean City firefighters decided to expand on the requirements by providing full CPR certification.
If a responder can begin CPR measures within five minutes of cardiac arrest, “the probability of survival increases exponentially,” Ocean City Fire Capt. Raymond Clark said.
The OCFD is also committed to providing CPR training for the entire community. The department offers training for organizations at their sites on their schedule. It has classes scheduled for April 4 and May 21 at the Ocean City Free Public Library, and it is working with the American Heart Association to provide in-person skills testing for online CPR courses. Learn more about these programs.
To arrange to visit CPR training in the schools, contact Clark at rclark@ocnj.us or 609-525-9190.
