BISMARCK, ND--The goal is for all high school graduates in North Dakota to have a life-saving skill on their resumes. A bill that would fund CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) training in schools is now under consideration by the State Legislature.
Among its supporters is Curt Halmrast, paramedic and president of the North Dakota EMS Association.
"Math, science, reading - all aspects of what you learn in school are so vital and so important," Halmrast said. "But there is no other skill that can save a life, and no other life skill that can make such an impact on a person that's in cardiac arrest."
Every year in the U.S., several hundred thousand people suffer cardiac arrest away from hospitals. Bystander CPR can help save their lives, but Halmrast said fewer than one-third of victims receive it.
"If you do effective CPR - and it's so easy to learn in 30 minutes or less by watching the video and then practicing a little bit - bystander CPR can double or even triple the survivability of cardiac arrest."
54-year-old Jeff Dahl, Fargo, supports the legislation, knowing first-hand how vital it is to have people around with CPR training. Dahl said he was working out at the "Y" last fall when he collapsed and, as he put it, his "four guardian angels" jumped into action.
"I had 100 percent blockage, is what happened to me," Dahl said. "Without CPR and all the people that helped save me, I would not be around today."
The legislation (SB 2238), which has the backing of the American Heart Association, has been passed by the North Dakota Senate and is in committee in the House. It seeks $450,000 to cover the training costs for 7,500 students a year.
Heart disease is the leading killer in North Dakota.
More information is available at http://www.legis.nd.gov.
SOURCE: Public News Service