Knowing CPR can save lives during severe weather events

If someone you know is having a medical emergency during a severe weather event, knowing first aid skills can increase their chances of survival.

Transcript

00:00When severe weather strikes, first responders could be delayed in reaching

00:05someone who is injured or hurt. If a loved one is having a medical emergency,

00:09knowing first aid skills like CPR can increase their chances of survival. The

00:14big thing with having a sudden cardiac arrest, it can come from drowning or just

00:19the electrical system of the heart not working. And the faster you can get the

00:24blood flowing in the body to the vital organs, the better outcome you're

00:29gonna have. CPR should only be performed when a person isn't breathing or

00:33doesn't have a pulse. Before getting started, make sure that you and the

00:37person you're helping are in a safe spot. Did lightning strike? Are they in

00:41a pool of water? Are they where traffic's coming? So you need to make

00:45sure that the scene is safe before you go out there so that we don't have two

00:48people injured instead of one. Then call 911. Even in an emergency like that

00:54where you know it's going to be hard for medical response to get to you, you

00:58still want to call 911 because they can help you triage the situation and get

01:02you help as quickly as possible. Once help is on the way, you can begin

01:07compressions. You take the fatty part of your hand and put it in the center of

01:10the chest and you push down about two inches at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per

01:16minute. Um, ideally you'd follow that with some rescue breaths, especially if

01:22it is a child or an infant using an A. E. D. Device or an automated external

01:27defibrillator can also be helpful in an emergency. It delivers an electric

01:32shock through the chest to the heart when it detects abnormal rhythm. The

01:36instructions are right inside. Once you open up the A. E. D. It shows you

01:39exactly where to place the pads and hit the button that says analyzed. But that

01:44is one of the best ways to help revive somebody that has sudden cardiac arrest

01:48outside of doing just your basic CPR. Learning these skills are quick and easy

01:52in a CPR training course. Most certificates are valid for two years

01:57for AccuWeather. I'm Emmy Victor.