The City of St. Joseph Health Department is now taking sign-ups for its American Heart Association HeartSaver First Aid/CPR/AED class.

There are two separate sessions that are open to the public. The first option is on Tuesday, February 23rd from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and the class will repeat on Thursday, February 25th from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The classes will be held in the 2nd Floor Conference Room at the City of St. Joseph Health Department at 904 South 10th Street.

The department said this is an opportunity for anyone in the community to be introduced to skills that could help save a life. CPR is a recognized approach to emergency situations, but AED’s are a newer tool and can be intimidating to someone who is unfamiliar with their use. This HeartSaver class will give participants the skills needed to confidently use all available resources to keep someone alive until professional medical attention is available.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a lifesaving technique useful in many emergencies, including heart attack or near drowning, in which someone’s breathing or heartbeat has stopped. An automated external defibrillator (AED) is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses life-threatening cardiac abnormalities and treats them through defibrillation, which delivers an electrical impulse that allows the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

This is a four hour class. There will be skills testing for basic first aid skills and CPR and AED use. There is no written exam for this class. There is a $5 cost for the certification card. Class size is limited to 8 persons per class. The deadline to sign up for either session is Friday, February 19th. Registration is required. Call 816-271-4725 and ask for Connie Werner, RN or Stevie Smith, RN with questions or to register.