PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – WPLG Local 10 employees from all departments received a life-saving lesson.
Last month, staff and volunteers with the American Heart Association and One Beat came to Local 10 to teach hands-only CPR. Employees also learned the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, how to administer infant CPR and how to properly use an AED device.
The lessons were divided into three, one-hour sessions. Eric Pecnik, a CPR and AED instructor with One Beat, explained how nearly 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes. He walked employees through the importance of dialing 911 in the event of an emergency and how to push hard in the center of the chest 100 to 120 beats per minute to properly administer CPR.
"I thought the training was very helpful," Local10.com managing editor Peter Burke said. "I mainly did it because I have an almost-5-year-old son and a baby at home. You think you know what to do, but you realize you actually know a lot less than you thought."
"It's a skill that is so simple to learn, yet so many people have no clue how to administer CPR properly," Local 10 News anchor and reporter Jenise Fernandez added. "It feels great knowing that in a dire situation, I can help someone."
According to the American Heart Association, if performed immediately, CPR can double or triple a victim's chance of survival.
"Every year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital and more than 20% occur in public places like workplaces," Jen Campbell, executive director of the American Heart Association Greater Miami and Fort Lauderdale region, said. "We are grateful to have had the opportunity to teach hands-only CPR education to Local 10, so the news talent and staff can have the tools they need to help save the life of someone they love."
For more information, visit heart.org/handsonlycpr.