Did you know that 3 out of 4 people know how to jump start their car, but only 1 in 10 can do CPR…or in reality “jump start a life”…
How about the fact that every year 365,000 lives are claimed by not having an available defibrillator near where the cardio pulmonary incident has occurred. That is the same as 3 Boeing 747’s going down everyday!
Taking a CPR course is really such an easy thing to fit into your schedule, all things considered. Four hours, one day – once a year.
Think of all the family situations where CPR could be a necessity: choking, near drownings (anyone who has a pool should definitely know CPR and First Aid) and sudden cardiac arrest. Think your family is healthy – I think we all do, yet 7,000 children have cardiac issues each year, so it isn’t just affecting one demographic.
I know one of the other issues that we all face in learning CPR is the fear of being sued. I learned CPR and then I went to help a stranger in situation XYZ, but I’m afraid that if something happens outside my home or family, I don’t want to be held liable. In California, we have protections in place for just that reason.
Under California law, a person has no duty to come to the aid of another. However, if a person comes to someone else’s aid, he or she has a duty to exercise “due care.” The Legislature has adopted certain exceptions to this “due care” requirement. One such exception is the “Good Samaritan” law. This law is found in Health and Safety Code § 1799.102, and it states, in relevant part, “No person who in good faith, and not for compensation, renders emergency care at the scene of an emergency shall be liable for any civil damages resulting from any act or omission.”
Don’t wait. Everyday – that one situation could come up – that one time when you are going to say – “If only I had been prepared.”
