Faculty & Staff Train for All Types of Emergencies

By Tomas Flores

In an emergency, we look to “First Responders” to capably, effectively and safely rescue us in our time of need. But first responders are not limited to police, firefighters or medical personnel. At El Paso Community College, they can be faculty or staff trained in CPR and willing to assist if someone has a cardiac arrest.

According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, over 600,000 people suffer from a sudden and unexpected loss of heart activity, breathing and consciousness. Only 7 % will survive an out-of-hospital event. There is also a window of four to six minutes once the cutoff of blood flow and oxygen occurs before the brain is considered dead.

It can happen to people of any age. Some causes can include electrical shock, drowning, heavy physical stress, influenza, heavy alcohol or drug use, and heredity. Even too much coffee can be a culprit (https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/cardiac-arrest/causes).

Paulina De Santiago, an EPCC kinesiology instructor, conducts hands-only CPR training, which does not require rescue breathing. This workshop began as part of faculty development week in the fall of 2023, but interest is still growing. Currently, it is exclusive to staff and faculty.

Requiring only two hands to save a life was the emphasis of this class; it empowers individuals who might feel scared or hesitant to spring into action and even take charge. During De

Santiago’s presentation, she noted that the individual administering CPR must be vocal, assigning the task of calling 911 to a specific person in a crowd; the call for professional emergency response is the first step, whether in a crowd or alone.

The workshop does not offer certification but is a glimpse of what CPR entails and introduces an Automated External Defibrillator’s function and use. “If you want to get your certification in CPR, you need to contact continuing education and get it through them or the American Heart Association,” De Santiago said.

Continuing education is an offering to students and members of the community, as well as faculty and staff. The college offers students CPR training for specific fields of study, such as nursing, kinesiology and biology, with some degree programs requiring the class.

For those who participated in the latest offering on July 16 at the Administrative Services Center, the motivations for attendance were varied. Some came with the thought of caring for elderly family members. For Matthew Ibarra, it was about preparedness.

“Primarily, I took the class because I think it’s important to understand some basic things about first aid,” Ibarra said. “Don’t want to be one of those people who ends up wishing they knew how to help.”

The Automated External Defibrillator, part of training, is a system that talks to you through its use. The AED administers a shock to the victim only after it has analyzed the heart’s rhythm. The device is for a layperson, but during a crisis, its use can still be daunting; fortunately, 911 dispatchers can coach rescuers on its operation.

AEDs are now in schools, government buildings, shopping malls, grocery stores, and other public places; they are no good without the first responder who administers CPR, one who takes a class like the one offered by EPCC or the American Heart Association.

Contact Paulina De Santiago for more information on CPR or first aid training at (915) 831-2194, or pdesan11@epcc.edu.