BELLA VISTA -- The Bella Vista Fly Tyers and the Bella Vista Fire Department teamed up to certify club members in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators during a class held earlier this year.
Club members participating this class included: Alan Peterson, Scott Hawes, Kevin Huels, Gary Rowland, Tom Diepenbrock, Harold Robinson, Phil Ward, Sandi Ward, Duane Penner, Lance Childers, Jim Hodges, John Nuttall, Penny Allan and Karen Anderson.
The CPR/AED courses cover cardio pulmonary resuscitation skills, automated external defibrillators' use, and choking relief in adults, children and infants. To date, over 45 club members have been trained. Battalion Chief Leo Lieutard provided the training. The course included a lecture, video instruction and hands-on practice with mannequins. The course is designed for the layperson with little or no medical training.
Statistics have shown that in the event of a heart attack and cardiac distress, CPR and a defibrillator are the best methods to keep a person viable until first responders arrive on the scene. The American Heart Association estimates that approximately 395,000 cardiac arrests occur annually outside a hospital. Of those incidents, only 6% of victims survive. However, according to statistics, about 45% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims survive when they get CPR from a bystander.
The Fly Tyers will continue to sponsor the course for members over the next few months in an effort to have 100 members trained.
The Bella Vista Fly Tyers Club is a fishing, conservation and service club with approximately 150 members. This group of men and women share a common interest in fishing (both warm and cold-water species) found in the local streams and lakes of Bella Vista. The club also promotes lake conservation and recreational activities and conducts service projects throughout Northwest Arkansas.
To learn more about the Fly Tyers, visit the website at bvft.org.
Submitted photo
Submitted photo