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CPR & First Aid
3 Things you might not know about CPR
1. CPR Saves Lives
Currently about 9 in 10 people who have a cardiac arrest outside the hospital die. But CPR can help improve those odds. If it is performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, CPR can double or triple a person's chance of survival
2. Cardiac Arrests Often Happen at Home
About 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of hospitals each year---and about 7 in 10 of those happen at home. Unfortunately, about half of the people who experience cardiac arrests at home don't get the help they need from bystanders before an ambulance arrives
3. You Don't Need Formal Medical Training to Perform CPR
You don't need a special certification or formal training to perform CPR, but you do need education. If cardiac arrest happens to someone near you, don't be afraid---just be prepared! Follow these steps if you see someone in cardiac arrest:
- Call 9-1-1 right away. If another bystander is nearby, save time by asking that person to call 9-1-1 and look for an automated external defibrillator (AED) while you begin CPR. AEDs are portable machines that can electrically shock the heart and cause it to start beating again.
- Give CPR. Push down hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 pushes a minute. Let the chest come back up to its normal position after each push. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends tmiing your pushes to the beat of the song "Stayin' Alive." This method of CPR is called "hands-only" and does not involve breathing into the person's mouth.
- Continue giving CPR until medical professionals arrive or until a person with formal CPR training can take over.
Learn more about the hands-only method of CPR from AHA.
If you want to gain confidence in performing CPR, consider taking one of the FREE classes offered by the Orange Beach Fire Department!
We offer the following CPR classes:
Heartsaver CPR/AED
Heartsaver CPR/AED/First Aid
BLS
American Heart Association HeartSaver CPR / AED Course
The HeartSaver CPR/AED course is designed for those with little to no medical training. Anyone who wishes to be prepared for an emergency is welcome to register.
HeartSaver CPR/AED classes are generally held on the first Tuesday of each month beginning at 6 pm at the Fire Administration building located at 25855 John M Snook Drive (behind Orange Beach City Hall, directly next to Station 1) and last approximately 2 hours. The cost to receive a certification card is $26 and is valid for 2 years. Participants may pay by check only. Please make checks payable to the City of Orange Beach.
If you do not need a certification card, there is no cost to City of Orange Beach residents.
If you would like to purchase a copy of the CPR/AED book ahead of the course, please visit the American Heart Association website:
American Heart Association HeartSaver CPR/AED/First Aid Course
The AHA's Heartsaver Fire Aid CPR/AED course is designed for anyone with little to no medical training who needs a course completion card for their job, regulatory (e.g., OSHA), or other requirements, or anyone who wants to be prepared for an emergency in any setting. This class is most often requested by those requiring a Boat Captain's license.
In addition to the AED/CPR skills listed above, participants will learn:
- First aid basics
- Medical emergencies
- Injury emergencies
- Environmental emergencies
- Preventing illness and injury
- Opioid-associated life-threatening emergencies
The cost to receive a certification card is $28.75 (includes a book, CPR/AED/First Aid course, and certification card) and takes approximately 3.5 hours. Participants may pay by check only. Please make checks payable to the City of Orange Beach.
Basic Life Support (BLS) Course
The BLS course is for prehospital providers, like EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, and in-facility hospital providers.
The BLS instructor-led course teaches both single-rescuer and team basic life support skills for application in both prehospital and in-facility environments, with a focus on high-quality CPR and team dynamics.
BLS classes are held on an as-needed basis at the Fire Administration building and take approximately 4.5 hours. The cost to receive a certification card is $40, valid for 2 years. Participants may pay by check only. Please make checks payable to the City of Orange Beach.