February is National Heart Month and the perfect time to spotlight how lives can be saved if more of us know CPR and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Marple Newtown residents can learn these life-saving skills for free thanks to the Marple Township Ambulance Corps (MTAC). The MTAC will be offering CPR classes every other month, with this month’s class being held on February 15.
Although the MTAC has been offering CPR classes for years, Deputy Chief Andy Tucker said the recent sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin is shedding light on the importance of CPR and AED training. “I was one of the millions of people watching Monday night football when Damar Hamlin collapsed,” said Andy. “I immediately said to my wife, Maria, this will definitely bring CPR into the spotlight and the number of people that want to learn CPR will explode.”
Andy is not only Deputy Chief of Marple Township EMS, but he is also a contract paramedic who has covered hundreds of professional games including the Eagles, Flyers, Phillies and Sixers. He said that since the medical professionals were able to start performing CPR on Damar Hamlin, that was the key to his survival. “Hamlin had a huge team of medics surrounding him within seconds. That’s not always possible in cases of cardiac arrest or heart attacks,” he explained. “Early rescue reorganization and early defibrillation are key to success and that was absolutely evident in his case.”
Andy, who has been volunteering with the MTAC for 35 years, urges residents to become trained in CPR. The MTAC frequently holds CPR training for local organizations and schools including Paxon Hollow Middle School, Splash Club and the Marple Junior Tigers, to name a few. “Everyone should be CPR trained if they’re able,” said Andy.
Maria Tucker, Andy’s wife and a volunteer EMT for the MTAC for 10 years, will be instructing the bi-monthly CPR classes. Classes will be about an hour long and will teach the two steps of Hands-Only CPR that are necessary if you witness a teen or adult suddenly collapse.
Statistics from the American Heart Association show that each year in the United States an estimated 350,000 people experience sudden cardiac arrest, and anyone who witnesses a cardiac arrest in the community can perform CPR. CPR can help keep the heart pumping and blood flowing to vital organs until an electrical shock from a defibrillator is available to restore the heart to a normal heart rhythm.
If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of a spouse, a parent or a friend. By learning CPR you could be the difference for your loved one, doubling or tripling their chance of survival.
MTAC’s next upcoming free CPR classes, for ages 16 and older will be held on February 15 and March 15 at 7pm at the Marple Township Ambulance Corps building on Malin Rd. For registration, email Maria Tucker at mtucker@marpleems.com. To learn more about the Marple Township Ambulance Corps, visit www.MarpleEMS.com.