12-year-old football player's death highlights importance of CPR training

12-year-old football player's death highlights importance of CPR training
With the death of a 12-year-old in New Jersey, the importance of CPR training is being highlighted across the country.

Last week, Elijah Jordan Brown Garcia collapsed during football practice and died on the field. The coaches and parents didn't know CPR and, by the time first responders arrived, it was too late.

The boy's family is now calling for mandatory CPR training for youth sports coaches.

Locally, Spokane Public Schools says all their coaches are required to be CPR trained through the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Spokane City Fire Captain Brain Schaeffer says the focus is for those trained to keep the heart and brain alive before first responders arrive.

The Basics of CPR...

• Give the person a good shake & shout
• If they don't respond, have someone call 9-1-1
• Interlock your fingers, straighten your arms and start compressions
• You want to go about 2 inches deep, 100 beats per minute, to the beat of 'Staying Alive'

"Can truly be the difference between someone surviving and being neurologically intact or someone not surviving and not being neurologically intact," explained Chief Schaeffer.

Also, an app called PulsePoint can notify the public of cardiac arrest situations nearby. All first responders get those notifications on their phones, too.

"We're focusing on the people that are closest to that person, alerting them of the CPR situation near by and encouraging them to respond," Chief Schaeffer said.

PulsePoint also provides information on all the surrounding AEDS in your area.

You can find more resources for CPR training here, here, & here.