A participant practices CPR and first-aid on a mannequin at a training held at CCC in Page in December. The next training will be Jan. 21. Courtesy photo.
PAGE — You see the man clutch his chest. He falls over.
You’re immediately on the phone as you’re rushing to the man. You turn him over. Check for breath. No breathing. You find a spot on his chest and with your hands, you begin compressions until help arrives.
Knowing how to respond in an emergency is the focus of a training program that will be taking place at Coconino Community College in Page every month beginning in January. The training, long held at the SRP PERA Club in Page, is making the move to CCC in the wake of the Navajo Generating Station closure.
“This means for the community of Page that the trainings can continue to be offered on a regular basis for staff development,” said Kay Leum, CCC’s Executive Director of Extended Learning.
The training equipment, about $18,000 worth of mannequins, masks, tourniquets, training materials, defibrillators and more, were donated by SRP to CCC to continue the training, Leum added. The first training at CCC was held on Dec. 17 for people in the community who needed their certifications renewed before the end of the year.
The instructor for the training will continue to be Fran Thomas, who is a long-time (more than 30 years) trainer of the program for SRP.
“It’s a workforce-based training for nonmedical people,” Thomas said. “It’s the layperson CPR and first-aid.”
The training was originally developed for the staff at the power plant, which required all staff to have basic knowledge of CPR and first-aid in order to prepare them to respond to emergencies, Thomas said. And just about everybody can benefit from the training – from 10 years old on up to senior citizen.
“It’s based on emergencies you may experience in everyday life,” Thomas said said.
Two trainings, with certifications, are available for nonmedical people as well as first responders:
- American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid & CPR AED: This seven-hour training occurs every Tuesday, beginning Jan. 21. Cost $90.
- Basic Life Saver CPR: This four-hour training occurs every fourth Thursday, beginning Jan. 30. Cost $55.
Leum said that the training, when it was housed at the PERA Club, was reserved primarily for NGS employees, with extra seats set aside for community partners and businesses like the school district, public service organizations, government agencies and more. Now, the training is open to all.
Additionally, CCC in Page is now an official training site for CPR and first-aid through the American Heart Association. The fact that a training site continues to be located in far northern Arizona will make the drive to attend the training less onerous for residents who would have to travel much farther were a site not located in Page.
Coconino Community College in Page is now an official training site for CPR and First Aid through the American Heart Association.
People interested in the training may preregister at www.coconino.edu/community-education For more information, contact CCC Page at 928-645-3987, or email ccc2community@coconino.edu.