CPR training on small island like Saipan very helpful-ARC

Training people in a small island like Saipan on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is very helpful to the community, according to American Red Cross NMI Chapter health and safety instructor Glenn Policare.

Policare said people on the island are very family oriented, many live within their villages, and it is very rare that they travel outside of their respective villages.

“So I think if each community—Koblerville, San Antonio, As Lito, all different villages in all different families, if you have just a few people that are certified (CPR) in each of those villages, I think it definitely helps out the community itself,” said Policare in an interview with Saipan Tribune during the American Red Cross Super CPR Saturday training at Fiesta Resort and Spa’s Hibiscus Room.

The instructor said people still have to call 911 and advance medical care to come and help.

“But if we can start to help, then people have a much greater of chance of survival,” he pointed out.

Policare said people who are certified to perform CPR will not be in trouble in helping patients as long as they perform their trained skills and don’t go above that.

“If I saw how to do brain surgery on TV that doesn’t certify me. But if I do CPR to the level that I’ve been trained, we have what we called Good Samaritan Law which protects you…which basically says I did what I could for this person, I help him to my best of my ability. You could still sue me but the good Samaritan Law is going to protect me,” he said.

Policare said people who are not trained to perform CPR should not touch a person or else they could be find liable if something happens to that individual.

“If they say ‘hey are you certify to do that? No then you could get in trouble,’” he explained.

He said this is the reason why Red Cross wants to certify people to do CPR.

“People feel good about themselves when they get their cards, the certification is good for a year,” he said.

Policare, however, stressed that even people who are already certified, should call 911 first.

“And you don’t necessarily have to do CPR in every case. It depends on what’s wrong with the person,” he said. “CPR is very effective in helping people that are in either in cardiac arrest for having cardiac distress, or having heart trouble.”

More than 90 people, mostly students, participated during Saturday’s four-hour CPR training.