Every year, 100,000 to 200,000 people are saved by CPR. Now, GHS students taking health classes will have the opportunity to become CPR certified.

Students will be trained and certified by the American Red Cross in CPR, AED, and first aid procedures. The health class, taught by Rosa Francis, will allow students to receive hands on experience practicing on CPR dummies. Students will also be able to practice different procedures for adults, babies, and small children.

“I went through extensive CPR training from the American Red Cross last march in order to become certified to teach the course,” said Francis.

The course came to life in the spring of 2016 when the state changed their mandates. Now, learning CPR has become part of the high school level curriculum.

The course begins by watching a video series followed by book work. From there, students move on to hands-on work with practice dummies.

Students also use state of the art Automated External Defibrillator (AED) equipment in the course. AED equipment is used to shock the heart into pumping and beating again.

For Francis, her training has already proven useful when she went through a personal choking experience over winter break. While having dinner with her family at a restaurant, she began choking. Her family didn’t realize what was going on and she was able to perform Heimlich maneuver on herself.

“If I didn’t know what to do, I could have died,” said Francis.

The course will help enable students to protect their own life, and the life of others.