SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WLIO) — Students at Shawnee’s Elmwood Elementary received a vital lesson this week: how to perform CPR.
Members of the Shawnee Fire Department and medical professionals worked with kindergarten through second-grade students during their gym classes. Parents were also invited to participate in the training.
In addition to learning the technique, students were taught when CPR should be used. This marks the first time the fire department has conducted this type of training at the elementary school, and officials say the students benefited greatly.
“You need to check if they're breathing, and if not, call 911, and then. CPR, if they're still not breathing,” said Knight Coleman, a second-grade student at Shawnee Elmwood.
What does it take to perform CPR?
“We had to push very hard on their chests,” said Grayson Biss, a second-grade student at Shawnee Elmwood.
What song do you have to sing in your head while performing compressions?
“Baby Shark,” added Biss.
The national average survival rate for cardiac arrest is 10%. However, in Seattle, the rate is 62% due to widespread CPR training in the community. The Shawnee Fire Department hopes to increase survival rates in the township by providing similar training.
“Kids have done so great this week. We've had them for about 25 minutes, and we've had their complete attention the entire time. They all have really done such a fantastic job just paying attention, following directions. And you know, when we quiz them afterward, they all answer everything. So they retain this information," said Matt Reaman, fire prevention officer for the Shawnee Township Fire Department. "I've talked to several parents who have said their kids have come home and taught them all about CPR. And that's what it's all about—just making sure that our community is aware of what CPR is, how to do it, and when to do it."
Reaman said the department hopes to expand CPR training to all schools in the district, ensuring Shawnee students receive about four rounds of life-saving instruction before they graduate.
