Palm Springs Unified teaches students hands-on CPR in summer program
Kiera Seapy
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ)- The Palm Springs Unified School District is teaching students CPR through classes and training.
Students at Nellie Coffman Middle School took part in a hands-on CPR training as part of the districts summer learning program. The training includes how to recognize a cardiac emergency, call 911, and start chest compressions.
Mary Leith, the development director of the American Heart Association, explains that “nine out of ten cardiac arrests happen outside of a hospital” and their goal is ” to create a nation of lifesavers”.
This training is part of a new partnership between Palm Springs Unified and the American Heart Association.
The Director of Risk Management, Renée Brunelle, explains they have to have a school of lifesavers.
“We want to have a school of lifesavers. “We want to train students to be able to have the skills of CPR at an early age …We have a goal to have every high school student graduate with a CPA being CPR certified” said Brunelle.
This program is available to students nine years old and older across the district with the goal of making lifesaving training part of every student’s education. More than 180 students were trained during the first part of Wednesday’s summer session, with more classes coming.