Colonial Life Employees Receive Hands-Only CPR Training

The American Red Cross trained nearly 100 Colonial Life employees in a new life-saving technique called citizen CPR at the Colonial Life offices Wednesday. 

Citizen CPR, also known as hands-only CPR requires no mouth-to-mouth contact, only chest compressions. The method is designed to save someone who suddenly collapses from a cardiac emergency.

Colonial Life awared the Columbia Region American Red Cross with a $12,000 grant to train 1,000 people locally in hands-only CPR. The American Red Cross hopes to train five million people nationally this year.

Colonial Life employee Dre Dantzler learned the basics of the technique, and said he now feels confident that he could help save a life. 

"With the training I just received, I think I could at least maintain the scene until the proper professionals arrived," Dantzler said. 

Calling 911 is one of the steps in the emergency action system that the Red Cross teaches trainees. 

Instructor Stanley Dowling taught trainees that the three steps are check, call and care. Trainess are taught to check the scene and ensure that it's safe for them to assist the victim. The next step is to call 911, and the last step is to perform 100 chest compressions per minute until EMS workers arrive. 

"The chest compressions move blood and keep the vital organs alive until help can arrive," Dowling said. 

Hands-only CPR is not a substitue for full CPR, Dowling said. People who have respiratory failure still need full CPR. Hands-only CPR training is for people who are unwilling or unable to perform full CPR, Dowling said. 

The Columbia Region Red Cross is providing hands-only CPR training for free to the first 1,000 people to sign up, thanks to the grant from Colonial Life. After that, the training is $15 per person. 

To sign up call 80-540-1200 or visit columbiaregionredcross.org.