As summer is fast approaching, CPR training can come in handy for the eager teenager eyeing a job as a lifeguard, babysitters watching over vacation-fevered kids and anyone else who wants to learn how to restore breathing and circulation to the heart if an emergency should arise. While one of the best places to take CPR classes in Syracuse, New York, is with the American Red Cross, several local ambulance companies offer the same kind of training to interested parties and volunteers.
American Red Cross
Volunteers who aim to deliver help to disaster victims and others who have encountered an emergency man this vital humanitarian organization. The Syracuse Chapter of the Red Cross offers plenty of opportunities to gain both CPR certification and recertification. Some of the courses offered include “Infant and Child CPR” ($35 or $54 per couple) and “Adult CPR” ($31).
Recertification of the above CPR classes involves a review of materials and skills. You are required to purchase the Community First Aid and Safety Book ($14) to complete the course that costs $17.
The Red Cross even arranges the opportunity to learn the first steps of Adult CPR with a broadcast of the first video segment on Time Warner Cable. After viewing the video, you are instructed to call the Red Cross and sign up for a session that teaches the necessary skills.
The two-day “Community CPR” ($43) class allows one to recognize and attend to breathing and cardiac emergencies regarding infants, children and adults. Heart disease and injury prevention is also included. A three-day session is set aside for “Community CPR & First Aid and Safety” ($47). Recertification costs $29.
Registration for Syracuse Red Cross CPR training is handled on a first-come, first-served basis. You may register in person at the Red Cross office at 220 Herald Place in Syracuse; mail in the registration form and payment (found on their web site); or telephone in your information using a Mastercard or Visa card.
Depending on the sort of course you are taking, CPR training is offered at the following locations: Camillus Mall, Fayetteville Mall, Market Place Mall (Cicero), Onondaga Chapter Office, and the Oswego Chapter Branch Office (129 West Second Street)
NAVAC
The North Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps is known as one of the largest volunteer ambulance organizations found in Central New York. They are responsible for watching over a region that consists of 25,000 home, answering about 6,000 calls per year. The North Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps (NAVAC) is located at 603 North Main St. in North Syracuse (315-458-7514).
CPT training is offered through NAVAC as a way to give back to the community. To date, more than 7,000 residents have been trained or recertified in the life-saving techniques of CPR. The organization offers “BLS for Healthcare Providers” (teaches CPR skills for victims of all ages, including ventilation with a barrier device, a bag-mask device, and oxygen). This course is typically given to medical professionals, where original certification takes between six and eight hours to complete.
“Heartsaver AED & Heartsaver CPR” not only touches upon CPR, but also teaches the signs of recognizing heart attack, stroke, and FBAO). Airline personnel, security guards, employees, family members of high-risk cardiac death patients, and individuals who work closely with children usually take this course. Certification takes between three and six hours. “Heartsaver First Aid” focuses on adult CPR, as well as optional child and infant techniques. “CPR for Family & Friends” typically takes between two and 4 ½ hours to complete for individuals who wish to learn how to save the life of those they love.
CPR and first aid classes are offered at the Greater Baldwinsville Ambulance Corps, where adult and child CPR skills are delivered through five different options: “First Aid and CPR” (basic skills); “Child Care Safety and CPR” (for parents, teachers, daycare staff, and babysitters); the three to four hour-long “Heartsaver Course” (basic training on identifying and caring for life-threatening emergencies); “Healthcare Provider Course” (expanded skills geared towards professionals that consists of two sessions); and the “Heartsaver A.E.D. Course” (a four-hour course that involves an automatic external defribrillator).
The GBAC offers CPR training at 11 Albert Palmer Lane; Baldwinsville, NY each month with a convenient schedule of future courses found on their web site. Off-site training is also available when calling 315-638-4328.
