Reston Runners will be offering  American Heart Association (AHA) Heartsaver CPR classes for all interested Reston Runners. The classes will be offered free of charge.

Why CPR? Taking a CPR class can provide you skills that could save a life.

Is it hard? While CPR is physically demanding, learning the technique is pretty easy and once you are confident in CPR, you can direct on-lookers to assist you so that you don't become fatigued waiting for medical assistance.  Anyone who is concerned about their ability to participate in the class should check with your Doctor.  If you are in good general health, you  should be able to successfully complete the class.  In fact, you JFK 50 Milers might be a bit overall qualified from a health standpoint.  

How much time do I have to commit? The class takes about 4 1/2 hours and is good for 2 years.

Is the class reputable? The class is an American Heart Association (AHA) approved course, taught by a licensed AHA instructor and the cards are issued by Inova Health system from AHA.  

Why Heartsaver? There are a number of CPR classes available in the community.  In review of all the class options available, we have determined that Heartsaver gives a great deal of hands-on training for the non-medical professional.  A Heartsaver trained rescuer has the skills needed to intervene confidently and competently during a potential cardiac event.  It covers adults, children and infants and choking.

What about the Automatic External  Defibrillator (AED) .  AEDs are portable defibrillators that 'talk' the rescuer through the process of defibrillation, dramatically increasing odds of recovery for victims of some types of cardiac events.  They are located in schools, malls, airports, gymnasiums and sometimes, Reston Runner car trunks.  Heartsaver covers use of the AED and includes a training session with AED.

Can I be sued if I do CPR incorrectly? As long as you don't try anything too crazy, Good Samaritan laws protect you from being sued (some examples of too crazy include trying to open an airway with a pocket knife, trying to do CPR while drunk, etc).  The Good Samaritan laws recognize a novice rescuer is going to be scared and may miss steps or do things incorrectly.  Even when done correctly, CPR can cause broken ribs and other complications that are unavoidable and even when done correctly, not every victim is saved by the procedure.  

Can I get AIDs or get other serious illnesses from performing CPR? There is a very slight chance of some ailments being transferred from victim to rescuer during mouth-to-mouth but the risk is very minimal.  AEDs carry a barrier shield that protects the rescuer during mouth-to-mouth.  AHA is now saying that if a potential rescuer does not wish to intervene with mouth-to-mouth due to fear of illness transmittal, it is better to proceed to chest compressions and skip mouth-to-mouth than to not intervene at all.  

How do I sign up? Email cpr@restonrunners.org stating your availability and your prior experience with CPR.   Each class holds only 8 students and we will be holding a class about every 6-8 weeks until everyone has had an opportunity to participate.  This class is intended for adults.  No one under 16 years old will be allowed to participate.  American Heart Association offers a different class called "Friends and Families" that is more appropriate for youth groups.  
Dates:

April 19th, 2009
12:00 - 4:30PM

June 14, 2009
12:00 - 4:30PM

July 19, 2009
12:00 - 4:30PM

CPR trainees may find Al Rider's article on heart rate fundamentals of interest. Read it here:  HEART RATE FUNDAMENTALS FOR RUNNERS