“You Never Know…”

 

You might one day find yourself in a situation where someone near you starts choking or needs emergency medical care. What would you do? Could you help the victim? What if it was someone close to you—and not a stranger?

Two BMCC students know what it’s like to be in such a situation. Both witnessed a person choking—and it happened just weeks after these students completed BMCC’s CPR training course in the fall semester.

“One of my co-workers choked on an eggroll; but she was OK. I didn’t have to administer CPR,” said student Angelina Gomez.

At a Long Island auditorium, not long after his CPR training, BMCC student Brian Romero witnessed an elderly woman choke on her food. “Luckily, there was a nurse in the room, but I immediately recognized the signs, and cleared the area.”

Even though Gomez and Romero didn’t physically aid the choking victims (this time…), they liked knowing they could potentially assist.

“It feels really good to say I am trained in CPR…just in case,” said Romero, a Human Services major who works with children. “Should anything happen like that ever again, I want to be prepared. You never know.”

Providing fast help is crucial
BMCC’s Public Safety officers are all trained in CPR and First aid, meeting the requirements set forth by the National Safety Council. In fact, out of all the CUNY schools, BMCC’s safety officers are the only ones trained in CPR and First aid.

Jesus Ayala is a Public Safety Sergeant at BMCC who is trained to teach other safety officers and BMCC staffers and students about CPR.

“It’s important to know CPR and First aid because even though we live in a city, and BMCC is located near a hospital, oftentimes it takes three to six minutes for an ambulance to arrive,” he said. “At any location, in any situation, the faster you can provide someone with emergency care, the better.”

The Office of Public Safety decided to open up its CPR training to students at the college, and hosted a two-day CPR and First aid training session during winter break on the 7th floor of the main campus.

“The first day is CPR for adults, children and infants. The second day is First aid,” said Ayala. “We thought, ‘We have thousands of students here, and they may have to use CPR at home at some point.’”

What is CPR?
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) consists of mouth-to-mouth respiration and chest compression. CPR allows oxygenated blood to circulate to vital organs such as the brain and heart. CPR can keep a person alive until more advanced procedures (such as defibrillation, which is an electric shock to the chest) can treat the cardiac arrest.

CPR started by a bystander doubles the likelihood of survival for victims of cardiac arrest. According to the National Safety Council, 25% of emergency room visits could be avoided if people knew basic First aid and CPR.

CPR-trained students honored at luncheon
Students who attended, and passed, the most recent training session were awarded with certificates at a luncheon in the Hudson Room. They also received a BMCC First aid kit as a “thank you” on behalf of the college.

Ed Moss, BMCC’s Director of Public Safety, handed out the certificates at the ceremony.

“We applaud you for taking this course,” he told the students. “The first ten minutes in a medical emergency are the most crucial. After looking at ambulance calls and response times, we decided to open up the CPR training to the BMCC community, not just the officers.”

Early Childhood Education major Angelina Gomez heard about the CPR and First aid training from the Early Childhood Education Club and immediately signed up. “Knowing CPR is a great skill to have, especially if you’re working with children,” she said.

Learning how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on infants was the most interesting technique Gomez said she learned.  “After I completed the CPR training, I immediately put it on my resume. It’s a skill that will absolutely help me find jobs working with children.”

BMCC President Antonio Pérez stopped by the Hudson Room to greet and congratulate the CPR graduates.

“This may be more symbolic than graduation because, with the exception of nursing students, you have the training and capability to save lives,” he told the CPR-certified students. “You have the skills and can help be our on-campus eyes and ears.”

CPR training courses sponsored by The Red Cross or other organizations can sometimes cost anywhere from $200 to $300. Training provided by BMCC is free.

“There’s no charge to students who want to take our CPR certification course. Elsewhere, the book alone is $25,” said Scott Anderson, Vice President of Administration and Planning at BMCC. “I feel very strongly about this program. In disadvantaged communities, there are not enough people trained in CPR. These students can be an asset to their school and their community.”

The next CPR and First aid training sessions will be held at the end of this month. For more info, or to register for upcoming sessions, stop by the Office of Public Safety or attend an annual Public Safety Day.