CPR training to be offered in Modesto, Ceres, Turlock on Wednesday

EMTs and paramedics have a goal to train at least 1,000 people in the Modesto, Ceres and Turlock areas Wednesday on compression-only CPR as part of American Medical Response’s World CPR Challenge.

This is the fourth year AMR is using its network of first responders in communities coast to coast, and in several countries, to put on a training day. Last year, the challenge trained more than 67,000 people, according to the medical transport company.

In Stanislaus County, AMR is teaming with the Modesto and Turlock fire departments, Memorial, Doctors and Emanuel medical centers and possibly other partners to train people in the community, said Kristy Kuhn, AMR clinical and educational services specialist.

The training will be held at the following times and locations:

▪ Hobby Lobby, 2801 McHenry Ave., Modesto, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

▪ Save Mart, 3601 Pelandale Ave., Modesto, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

▪ Walmart, 2111 Fulkerth Road, Turlock, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

▪ Walmart, 1670 Mitchell Road, Ceres, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

▪ Mocse Credit Union, 3600 Coffee Road, Modesto, 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

▪ Memorial Medical Center, 1800 Coffee Road, Modesto, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

▪ Doctors Medical Center, 1441 Florida Ave., Modesto, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

▪ Emanuel Medical Center, 825 Delbon Ave., Turlock, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“As people go into businesses, hopefully we’ll be able to pull them aside and say, ‘Can we train you?’ ” Kuhn said.

Trainers will have tabletop CPR mannequins (no need to kneel on the floor) for people to use, and the training takes only five minutes or so.

The training will give people a feel for the exertion required to compress an adult’s chest by 2 inches and perform compressions at a rate of 100 per minute. The beat of the Bee Gees’ hit song “Stayin’ Alive” commonly is used as the measure.

“We’re trying to make it fun,” Kuhn said, noting that participants will receive “I learned CPR” stickers and certificates.

People interested in getting trained can simply drop in – no appointments or RSVPs are needed.

According to the American Heart Association, compression-only CPR allows bystanders to keep blood flowing through a cardiac-arrest victim’s body and keep the person alive until paramedics arrive.

To learn more about compression-only CPR, visit www.amr.net/campaigns/cpr.

For a Modesto Bee story and video about Hughson middle school students learning compression-only CPR earlier this month, go to www.modbee.com/news/article75224872.html.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 1:01 PM with the headline "CPR training to be offered in Modesto, Ceres, Turlock on Wednesday."