The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

There is something to be said for a lesson that makes subject matter meaningful to all students, especially in the final week of school when students are anxiously anticipating the beginning of their summer vacations.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Mike Wright did just that on Wednesday morning, June 13. With students gathered in the JA Wendt Elementary library, Wright and fellow EMT Camille Goldsmith gave students a tutorial on lifesaving procedures.

“This is not a CPR class,” Wright told students. “You won’t be getting cards at the end of this and you will not be certified. This is informational only, but you will be introduced to skills that can save lives.”

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is a procedure meant to restart someone’s breathing or heartbeat by manually compressing the person’s chest and pushing air into the lungs by breathing into the person’s mouth. The American Heart Association (AHA) notes that no central organization keeps track of CPR successes and failures, so there are no official nationwide statistics illustrating how helpful CPR might be. The AHA does say that CPR done within five minutes of a person’s collapse combined with professional care can increase survival rates by as much as 50 percent. It can also buy time while waiting for paramedics to arrive.

“The first thing you must always do is call 9-1-1,” Wright said, “Not 1-1-9… 9-1-1.”

Wright and Goldsmith who are EMTs with the Cathlamet Fire Department proceeded to teach students about the ABC’s of CPR: Airway, Breathing and Circulation as well as the Heimlich maneuver. Then, the duo allowed students to practice the skills on little Anne manikins.

“No matter how hard we work, little Anne never comes to life,” Wright teased. Then on a serious note, he added, “CPR is a life saving technique but you need to know that not everyone who gets CPR survives. We hate to see that happen, but that’s just the way it is.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that basic life support skills be taught to schoolchildren, and with the help of Wright and Goldsmith, local students will be better prepared as they venture out and begin their summer vacations.