TL Photos/JOSIE BURKHART The Cumberland Trail Fire District crew is ready to respond to emergency calls. To save a life, a passerby can intervene in a medical emergency before they arrive. Pictured from left are Josh Cooper, Chris Cocca, Zed Redd and Dustin Roe.
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County health officials and medical personnel are recommending education about CPR and automated external defibrillators as part of a new countywide campaign called “CPR and Automated External Defibrillators.” “Every minute counts.”
Every minute counts “An initiative of the Ohio Emergency Medical Services and the Ohio Department of Public Safety to encourage Ohioans to provide first aid when someone experiences a life-threatening medical emergency,” according to Ohio Emergency Medical Services.
OEMS and the Ohio Department of Public Safety launched the campaign on July 29 to encourage Ohioans to learn the basics of emergency care for bystanders.
“The chances of survival increase if cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation are performed early,” Said Daniel Grady, deputy chief of the Cumberland Trail Fire District. “This is where the importance of bystander CPR comes in. It takes a while to activate the emergency system and send emergency responders there, so every minute you spend performing CPR or defibrillation is very important.”
According to Ohio Emergency Medical Services, every minute without hands-on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) reduces the chance of survival by 10 percent.
“Every minute is a 10th percentile in a person’s life,” said Lt. Tim Bell of the Bellaire Volunteer Fire Department. “So if it takes them five minutes to get there, that’s exactly 50 percent. Now if they start as soon as someone goes down, only a minute has passed. That’s only 10 percent, so a pretty good percentage.”
Bell noted that CPR is not the only way a bystander can help. If the medical emergency requires it, someone can perform chest compressions or the Heimlich maneuver.
He stressed that every minute counts in cardiopulmonary resuscitation because if the body does not pump blood through the main arteries, the affected body parts can die.
“Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the first three minutes are therefore crucial, because every minute is 10% of their life,” Said Bell.
Bystanders may be hesitant to intervene in emergency medical situations because they fear being sued or being responsible for the loss of a life, Bell said. Grady noted that people fear doing more harm than good and don’t feel adequately informed to help.
Bell said the risk of helping a person who is having a medical seizure outweighs the risk of not helping at all, because not trying can lead to more severe guilt than trying and not succeeding because “You know you have done everything in your power to help.”
To learn how to respond to medical emergencies, you can take CPR and AED courses and visit your local fire and emergency services and ask questions.
Bell pointed out that in a situation where someone feels unwell, an important step is to still call 911 as soon as you feel someone needs help.
Grady expressed concern that some people may not want to learn CPR to perform on a stranger if necessary, but said it is useful to know because people have family members and friends who could have a heart attack at any age.
Grady recommends taking a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association.
Belmont County Health Department Deputy Health Officer Rob Sproul said if bystanders can help, they could help prevent a death or other negative health outcomes.
“As long as you have some general knowledge to help that person, you should do so.” he said.
