Seventeen of the employees at First State Community Bank received CPR training on Apr. 5 and Apr. 15. Kim Hurt, a paramedic with Missouri Baptist Hospital and an American Heart Association Certified CPR trainer, provided instruction in the new Sullivan Fire Station Training Room on Highway AF.
After an FSCB employee took CPR training with Hurt, the bank discussed the value of the training and gave all FSCB employees the opportunity to participate in the classes.
Tim Peterson,  Regional president, knows the importance of this type of training. Years ago, just two weeks after he had taken his first CPR class, his expertise was needed on the ball field, when a player collapsed and was unresponsive.  He started CPR on the player until the EMTs arrived.  His beginning efforts ultimately assisted in saving the player’s life.
In telling this story, he stated,  “It’s a valuable lifesaving tool everyone needs, but hopes you will never have to use.”
In these classes, the staff learned tools that provided them with the knowledge and skills that will help them recognize and provide basic care for breathing and cardiac emergencies for adults as well as for children. The class starts by giving the emergency steps to follow in the event of a cardiac issue. Through use of mannequin devices, the staff was able to practice all the important steps to follow in providing assistance in case of an emergency.
Staff members participating in the course were also trained in how to assist choking victims.  Beth Halmick, an FSCB employee participating in the training, told of a recent choking incident with her daughter.  It was a frightening experience but, fortunately, her daughter was fine. Halmick was thrilled that the CPR training covered choking emergencies for children as well as for adults.
Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are portable electronic devices that automatically diagnose and treat with proper electrical therapy to correct an irregular heart rhythm.  These devices are becoming more common in large auditoriums, businesses, schools, stores and other areas that may house a large number of people.
Karen Largent knows from an experience her brother-in-law had—the lifesaving benefits of the AED.
“My brother-in law worked at MasterCard in St. Louis when he suddenly collapsed from a pulmonary embolism.  His fellow employees gave him CPR and used the AED that was available in the building. The instructions are very simple and walk you right through the process.  His situation was so severe he would not have survived without these important tools.”
The CPR training the staff received also gave all the participants experience in using an AED.
All employees participating in the training had nothing but praise for the program and its importance.  Kim Hurt gave excellent training to the employees—making it an enjoyable after-hours class. Coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Learning these valuable tools offered in a CPR training course can save lives.
For more information on trainings in our area or to arrange a training session, call Kim Hurt at 314-486-6629.