Free one-hour classes in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 19 at eight fire stations in Winston-Salem and Kernersville. The event is sponsored by the Winston-Salem and Kernersville Fire Departments and the Heart Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
CPR helps restore blood flow when the heart stops from cardiac arrest. Without CPR, the brain begins to die in four to six minutes. In the United States, sudden cardiac death happens more than 600 times per day. About 75 percent of all cases occur in people''s homes.
CPR is designed to buy time until emergency help arrives. If CPR is started within four minutes of collapse and the heart is restarted with a defibrillator within 10 minutes, the chances of survival are about 40 percent. In cities where CPR training isn''t widespread and where defibrillators aren''t available, the survival rate is only about 9 percent.
The classes will include an instructional video and hands-on training in adult CPR. They are not intended for professional certification. To register, call the HeartLine at 1-800-716-7730. Participating fire stations are
:Winston-Salem: Kernersville:
1717 W. Academy Street 400 W. Bodenhamer Street
100 Arbor Road 1105 Old Salem Road
3620 New Walkertown Road
771 Palmer Lane
1505 Peace Haven Road
5754 Shattalon Drive
Media Relations
Karen Richardson: krchrdsn@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-4453