By Jamie Lu
The American Heart Association has a vision of “a world where no one dies from cardiac arrest.” John Watson, a paramedic and firefighter of 20 years, is working to make that vision a reality by teaching CPR classes in the FishHawk community. Watson has been teaching CPR classes for the past 18 years with the goal of making CPR more accessible for all. He started out teaching local groups like Girl and Boy Scout troops and fellow parents on his daughters’ softball team who were required to learn CPR. Watson recognized that most people wanted to help but often didn’t have the training or skills to do so. He wanted to change that.
“It’s my life,” Watson said. “I’ve done CPR hundreds of times. I know the effects and the positive outcomes. I thought, why not create a Facebook page for those in the FishHawk area and operate for those who want to [learn CPR]?”
Watson dedicates himself to creating an educated community equipped with the tools necessary to respond to emergency situations.
“CPR is for everybody. You can take it for your loved ones, but you have the ability to use it for everyone in the community. The more people that are certified, the more options people have to help out.”
Watson has seen firsthand how someone performing CPR during the six to eight minutes that it takes paramedics to arrive on scene can be the difference between life and death. That is why teaching CPR is important to him.
His classes educate people on why the heart stops, what sort of situation warrants a call to emergency services and, of course, how to perform CPR itself. Watson follows the guidelines of the American Heart Association, which conducts studies every five years on the medical effects of CPR to ensure that the CPR procedures being taught are as efficient as possible.
Each of Watson’s classes is four hours long and has a ratio of six students to one instructor. There is no age requirement, but participants must be physically able to perform adult chest compressions. The classes include hands-on CPR practice, AED instruction and basic first-aid training. No written test is required. The program itself costs $65, and participants leave with an entry-level CPR certification that is valid for two years.
As a paramedic, “I see the reality of the lack of CPR,” said Watson. “I want to give everybody the ability to have those skills to [be involved].”
To contact Watson or learn more about his CPR classes, visit his Community CPR Facebook page at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561135322043.
