What will it take to start a national effort to get ordinary people trained in the art of saving a life? The simple steps are compression and time. The effort must come from a society that values life. That society is the people who walk, talk, and play like you and I. Why is it important to start such an initiative? For years, I have trained people to save lives by performing simple steps for choking, strokes, bleeding cuts, heart attacks and cardiac arrest. The success rates are phenomenal because some people didn’t just watch someone die. He and she acted and did what it took to make a difference. What we want are not just some people to act, but all of them to act. Imagine what it would be like to have more time with your mom, dad, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, grandparents, cousins and friends. All it takes is to perform simple steps. How can one learn these simple steps? There are many courses offered in practically every city and town in the country. The courses are related to CPR, first aid, wilderness training, and even simple steps on how to assist a person with oxygen. It takes up to four hours to complete a beginner CPR course and the first aid with other related training can be included. So why are there so many people dying when other people are not? Many people are nervous or scared because of the possibility that he or she may contract a disease if attempting to help. Well, that is true. However, the possibilities are remote if compression only CPR is performed. Also, by using gloves to control bleeding can also lower the chances of getting a disease. The American Heart Association has indicated that compression only CPR is the best method for people who are not trained or feels that a disease can be contracted. Mouth-to-mouth is out, unless the victim is someone who you know and love, like a family member or best friend. There are many people who want to help but do not want to sit in a classroom and take the courses. However, when taking the courses, an opportunity to ask the instructor questions is present. If you take the course on the internet, how can you ask questions/ Sure there are frequently asked questions on some sites but I can guarantee that there will be questions that are not on the site. Taking the physical course has its advantages. Infact, there are more advantages than disadvantages. Other indications for getting a national initiative going are because of the volatile activity that is occurring around the country and the world. These volatile activities will cause bleeding that needs to be controlled, hearts to stop that will need CPR, and other simple steps to save a life. We can only save a life by taking a class or being taught simple steps to do so. We also will need to be motivated and develop the will to get up and learn. What are the requirements to take the courses? First of all, you need to have the will to learn. A small amount of your time will be taken to take the courses. Then you will need to find a course offered in your area. You can do this by looking it up on the Internet or inquiring from CPR Headquarters. There is no age limits, and the instructors are prepared to teach students with disabilities. So, there are no restrictions. However, nothing is perfect! Sometimes an issue may arise where a person is unable to take the course. But for the most part, it is there and is opento everyone. From the tip of the west coast to the edge of the east coast, we must get this initiative going to educate every person in the art of saving a life. EMT’s Paramedics, doctors, nurses, and technicians are not the only ones capable of saving lives. You can do it. Simply sign up and take the course. That is all it takes to get started. The satisfaction of saving a life will give you goosebumps. The gratitude for that person and his or her family members will cause you to shed a tear. Here is an example from my experience when saving a life. A party was going on in the high-class neighborhood of north San Diego County. These were educated adults who mingled around a swimming pool. Most of them brought their children whose ages ranged from six months to seventeen years. Well, when adults mingle and talk around a private swimming pool, no one pays attention to the activity in the water. This behavior is not unusual. In the pool were many people, mostly children. A three-year-old boy found himself in the six-foot section of the pool where he could no longer stand up with his head above water. Just like that, he was under water and drowned. Only the sharp eye of another child noticed his distress, and she brought it to the attention of the adults. Two adult males jumped into the pool and retrieved the child. Once the child was placed on the edge of the pool, everyone noticed that he was blue and not breathing. His pulse was also absent. None of the adults or children knew what to do, other than call 911. The scene became chaotic in just seconds. When someone called 911, the dispatcher gave CPR instructions and advised the adults that paramedics were on the way. Once the paramedics arrived, the child was still not breathing, blue and had no pulse. I was one of those paramedics. It only took seconds to get that child’s pulse going and he began to breathe again. Everyone around the pool was amazed and showed relief but still had some apprehension. The child’s downtime was five minutes after extraction from the pool. The amount of time the child spent underwater was undetermined. However, based on the fact that the child’s pulse and breathing returned with relative ease, the time underwater may have been short. Here you see why a national initiative is needed. The people around the pool could have saved that baby and pool awareness education would have also help. Let’s not delay and get trained on saving a life. It is simple, easy and when you get trainers like me, it is fun.