For Immediate Release
Date: April 1, 2013

There is still time to sign up for one of 15 FREE CPR classes being offered at the Civic Center this Thursday and Saturday.

On Thursday, April 4, the hour-long class will be held in the afternoon at 4, 4:30, 5, 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m.

On Saturday, April 6, the class will be held at 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m.

Any Savannah resident can sign up online at www.slicc.org/SavannahCPR. Other classes are available outside the Civic Center sessions, but space is filling up fast.

The Savannah CPR initiative is aiming to train 1,000 residents in the simply Hands-Only CPR technique, which involves chest compressions to the beat of the Bee-Gees song, “Stayin’ Alive.” Studies have shown that those who suffer sudden cardiac arrest are 2-4 times more likely to survive if a bystander immediately performs this technique on them.

The classes are “train-the-trainer” format. Each participant will be given a Hands-Only CPR kit, which includes a CPR dummy torso to practice on, a DVD, and other materials. The CPR classes are FREE, but each participant must pledge to train five other people of their choosing in this technique. At the end of 2013, the City’s goal is to have 6,000 Savannahians trained in Hands-Only CPR.