Okla. EMTs Teach Kids About EMS Work

Law enforcement and first responders have been in the practice for a while of interacting with the youth of their communities in a relaxed environment so when they meet in more traumatic situations, those situations may play out more smoothly.

LifeNet has been doing this with a series of "LifeNet at the Library" in communities the Texarkana-based emergency medical services (EMS) company operates in. Local EMTs gathered with Payne County children grades kindergarten to fifth grade to explain what they do, teach the children how to perform CPR and give them an inside look at their job.

"Our goal is to provide more education in the communities about what EMS is, what we do," said Tina Bell, LifeNet's director of marketing and communications. "So working with kids, letting them know what may happen if they have to ride in an ambulance, letting parents know what may happen ahead of time if their kid has to ride in an ambulance, and taking a more proactive approach through education and reading stories.

"The other thing we're doing is bystander CPR, really trying to strengthen the chain of survival in the community, and you never know what age you may have to do CPR. So we start teaching kids young, it's always good to do hands-on refresher training no matter what age you are."

LifeNet personnel were at the Stillwater Public Library for their "Try-It Tuesdays" series for two different sessions, reading books to children in attendance, showing off an ambulance and the equipment inside and then teaching the children how to do CPR.

Bell said there's no difference between what a child and an adult could learn in performing CPR thanks to how people have evolved in performing the life-saving procedure over time. The American Heart Association has been pushing for community knowledge in hands-only CPR due to this, and that allows for more residents to know how to save a life if they ever find themselves in that situation.

"We teach hands-only CPR, which you can practice on a teenager through adult," Bell said. "Literally it's just learning to do chest compressions. For the average bystander you no longer do mouth-to-mouth; you still do if you go to a certification class.

"This is the first time we've done this here in Stillwater since I've worked with LifeNet, we do them in other communities as well. Kids love anything with lights and sirens, part of what makes it fun for them."