TOLEDO, Ohio — More people in our community are now certified to give CPR after a training course on Sunday.
'Community CPR 419' is a collaboration of local businesses and organizations, which aims to provide free life-saving training to people in our area.
"Our goal is to provide information around the risk in the central community and the statistics around individuals understanding the skills and the necessary steps to make sure that we can provide CPR for those who may require it," said TaShara Brown, organizer and owner of Safety Nest.
The main purpose is for more people to understand and be certified in giving CPR.
According to Toledo Fire Chief, Brian Byrd, CPR directly affects a person's survival rate when they experience cardiac arrest.
"When people see or witness a cardiac arrest, oftentimes, they don't know what to do. People will call, they don't know how to do chest compressions, they don't know how to initiate CPR," said Chief Byrd. "So, there's a delay between the time that cardiac arrest happens and the time that our people get here. That delay can truly impact somebody's survival rate."
The weekend's event was the first of its kind in our area to help raise awareness of the importance of knowing how to give CPR in emergencies.
And it's something organizers say more people need to know about.
"The disparities in the community are obvious. Things happen unfortunately, people die because we're not educated enough to perform CPR," said community ambassador, Terry Crosby.
The group says the event was so popular they are already planning to have more.
Groups involved in the collaborative effort include Safety Nest LLC, the African American Male Wellness Agency, Bon Secours Mercy Health, Taylor Automotive Family, Scott High School, House of Day Funeral Home, and Toledo Fire & Rescue.
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