Experts warn CPR and First Aid training can help save lives

In honor of National Preparedness Month, health experts are reminding you that knowing CPR and first aid could help save a life.

In an emergency, every second counts, and knowing basic lifesaving skills could help save a life.

What started as a quick trip to the store turned into a life-saving moment for Scarlett Jernigan after she helped a man who had been shot in the head.

“I saw he was bleeding, so I grabbed him, and I took my shirt off and wrapped it around his head and put a compress on it,” said Jernigan.

Jernigan says her first-aid training came in handy.

“I was happy that he was alive,” said Jernigan.

First aid isn’t the only skill that can save a life. CPR can help keep blood flowing to the brain and other organs until help arrives.

“You want to place the heel of one hand in the center of their chest, with your other hand on top, lock arms and elbows and start compressions,” said Tracy Austin, Executive Director ofthe American Red Cross.

Experts say hands-only CPR is easy to learn, does not require mouth-to-mouth breathing, and can double or triple the chance of survival after cardiac arrest.

“Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees is a great song to use while performing CPR because its beat matches the recommended rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

Experts say CPR can cause injuries, but that shouldn’t stop you from helping.

“You can break ribs doing CPR. It can be scary, but ultimately those victims will heal from those breaks,” said Gracie Smith, Chest Pain Coordinator at Medical Center Hospital.

So, whether you’re using first aid or CPR, experts say being trained and ready to act could help save a life when you least expect it.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 Americans suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year, and only about 10 percent survive.