Ms. Stevens’ Health class provided 10th - 11th grade students with hands-on experience in understanding how to perform CPR on someone in distress. Demonstrating the technique for chest compressions, she said “The beat is critical because you need to allow the blood to flow in and out. If you stop, the blood stops.”

Following the CPR lesson, students were grouped into threes taking turns administering CPR using a mannequin helping them understand what it feels like should they find themselves in an emergency situation.

Next, students learned when and how to apply an AED if CPR is unsuccessful. Knowing where to find an AED machine at school or any public location is critical. Ms. Stevens reminded students to follow the machine’s directions which included steering clear of the person while a charge is going through their body.

In addition to learning CPR, students were also taught the Heimlich Maneuver, using a simulated vest, which is a first-aid method for choking. The safety lesson concluded with a life-saving method for choking using a chair or another immobile object to self-rescue when alone.