Local veteran brings life-saving skills to community with CPR training business

When it comes to CPR, many people do not think about its importance until they need to use it one day. For families, understanding and being prepared to perform this lifesaving technique is crucial.

Marcus Barber, owner and lead instructor of Revive in Time CPR and Navy Veteran, knows the importance of CPR training as his passion for teaching stems from his personal experiences.

“In the military, I served as a helicopter crew chief and rescue swimmer and our motto was ‘so that others may live,’ he said. “I’ve always believed in stepping up to help others. If I’m going to be in my local Home Depot, and somebody needs help, I’m going to do the best I can to help them out,” he said.

The importance of CPR training

Barber emphasized that people do not consider learning CPR until they are in a situation where it’s needed.

“Imagine you’re at a family gathering and someone has a cardiac arrest,” Barber said. “If nobody knows CPR, you are kind of helpless until EMS arrives. So wouldn’t you want to be prepared to help your loved one?”

Marcus encourages people to organize training sessions with their friends and family.

“Bring your friends, have a class and make it a function,” he said. “Especially for adults who have gatherings at their house. It’s a great way for everyone to know what to do when they need it.”

Bringing the training to you

Revive in Time CPR is a small business that focuses on providing high-quality CPR training to local businesses and communities.

“Our business is really based on going to other people's businesses,” Barber said. “We don't have a brick-and-mortar. We just want to make it easier for the clients.”

Following the American Heart Association guidelines and incorporating his own experiences, Barber explained that his training sessions are thorough and interactive.

“We’re giving people the tools to save lives. It’s a lot of hands-on experience, we have feedback manikins. So, when you walk away from here, you should feel confident that you have the ability to save a life one day if needed.”

Overcoming misconceptions

Barber often encounters misconceptions about CPR, particularly the fear of causing harm.

“Some people don’t realize that they’re not pushing hard enough,” he said. “You have to get that out of your brain. You’re not going to hurt them because they’re not with us; you're trying to help them.”

He added: “Pushing hard and fast is good and that’s why we count out loud to keep that tempo. When the heart stops pumping, it needs a new pump. So, we're acting as an external pump.”

Barber recalled a time when he pulled an unconscious man out of a vehicle last year and performed CPR for 12 minutes until EMS arrived.

“When I gave the guy CPR, I’m pretty sure I broke a few of his ribs. Sometimes that’s part of the process, but we revived him in time.” he said. “That was a situation where I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I made a decision to step up and help this guy and I had just come from a training session, so it was fresh in my brain.”

Barber explained another misconception that he hears about CPR, which is that it is a tool and not a guaranteed save.

“In my classes, everyone thinks that they’re ready to save a life,” he said. “But the reality is, even with high-quality CPR, some people don’t make it because of other issues we can’t control. It’s not their fault that somebody passes away. They’re doing it correctly and they’ve been trained.”

He encourages people to focus on the task at hand and to ignore bystanders who might criticize their efforts by telling them that they are not doing CPR correctly.

“Do the best you can with the skills that you’ve been taught,” he advises. “There’s always going to be bystanders that are negative and won't stand up to help. Just tune them out. You are there for the person that needs you. So, think about the task at hand. You'll find out that there are good people out there that will help out too.”

Challenges and growth

Since launching Revive in Time CPR in 2018, Barber explained that COVID-19 produced some challenges, but they were able to persevere.

“The biggest challenge is learning how to get the word out and not spending money where you don’t need to spend,” he said. “It's like learning lessons. As anybody who starts a small business, there is going to be some growing pains.”

He added: “But we got through COVID and we’re doing well. It’s really just getting the word out there that anyone can learn CPR, age nine and up.”

Despite the challenges, Revive in Time continues to grow, driven by Barber’s belief that CPR is for everyone and his commitment to making it accessible.

“Knowing CPR can save lives,” he said. “It’s the little basic things. It’s a big deal.”

As he looks to the future, Barber hopes to see more people gain knowledge with high-quality CPR and have the confidence to perform it if they ever need to.