The Tompkins County American Red Cross advises that being able to administer first aid and CPR/AED during the first few minutes of a medical emergency is crucial to the survival and recovery of a victim. When minutes count and mean the difference between life and death, having CPR/AED skills allows you to become a vital first responder when help is needed.

“The Red Cross wants the public to know that at least one person in every household and on every office floor should be trained and certified in first aid and CPR/AED,” says Tarry Hilliard, Health & Safety Director for the Chapter. “On average, it takes emergency personnel 12 minutes to arrive on scene. For someone who is choking or has stopped breathing that may be too late. By learning simple rescue skills, you can go from a helpless bystander to a person with the ability to take control and help someone during an emergency. Nearly everyone is capable of learning and becoming certified in first aid and CPR/AED.”

Each year, roughly one million people in the United States suffer from heart attacks – almost half will die as a result. Becoming trained and certified in first aid and CPR/AED gives the average person the knowledge and skills essential to sustain life until professional responders arrive. First aid and CPR/AED can also help save victims of drowning, electrocution, accidental poisoning, suffocation and drug overdose.

The most effective way to learn first aid and CPR/AED is to participate in hands-on training courses taught by on of our certified Red Cross instructor. The Tompkins County Red Cross offers thorough and flexible training programs to meet your lifestyle, which help you prepare for emergencies and life-threatening situations. If you’re already trained, is it time for a brush up of your life-saving skills?

Sign up for a class today!
Go to the Health & Safety Services section of our website and click on the CPR schedule to see a listing of the dates and times
of all our upcoming CPR / AED classes.
Then, call 273-1400 x14 to enroll.

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States.