Learning to save lives at Edmonds Center for the Arts

Gene Smith of Fire District 1 demonstrates automated external defibrillator use for Edmonds Center for the Arts staff, who then get a chance to practice their skills. (Photos by Amber Salinas Photography)

Firefighters from Snohomish County Fire District 1 were at the Edmonds Center for the Arts Monday to train the center’s staff and volunteers in CPR and use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) donated by the Edmonds Fire Safety Foundation.

Students also had a  chance to practice their new lifesaving skills on mannequins during the hands-on class.

According to Fire District 1 spokesperson Leslie Hynes, the sooner a cardiac arrest patient receives CPR and defibrillation (an electrical shock to restore regular heart rhythm), the greater the chance of survival.  “Just last year in Edmonds, employees and citizens at Harbor Square Athletic Club used an AED to save the life of an Edmonds man when he went into cardiac arrest during a workout,” Hynes said.

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