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On December 11, several members of the ZSR Safety and Security Team, along with additional staff from Special Collections and Archives, and Reference and Instruction Services attended a training session to become certified in providing CPR and First Aid as well as to learn to use of our Automatic External Defibrillator. The Z Smith Reynolds Library recently received a second defibrillator that is now housed next to the Reference Desk on the 4th floor of the Wilson Wing. The new defibrillator complements the first AED which is kept right across from the circulation desk. In the course of this 5 hour training, we learned to become comfortable with how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) in conjunction with CPR. But we also learned so much more!

The First Aid/CPR/AED course prepared us to respond to and manage first aid, choking, and cardiac emergencies in the first few minutes until emergency medical services (EMS) arrives. The training materials we received were from the National Safety Council course meets the current CPR and ECC Guidelines using a combination of instructor, (Bridget Marrs from Environmental Health and Safety), video-self-instruction and hands-on training. We utilized new CPR dummies that simulated the force necessary to perform the procedure on a live human being and took turns trading off every two minutes. The force necessary to pump a human heart was surprising, and the work was not easy. The full course content included: Taking action in an emergency; Assessing the victim; Provide basic life support, including airway management, breathing and circulation; Using an AED; Preventing disease transmission; Recovery position; Choking; Heart attack and chest pain; Bleeding and wound care; Shock; Burns; and Splinting a bone. Participants included: Craig Fansler, James Harper, Ashley Jefferson, Sarah Jeong, Meghan Webb and Mary Beth Lock. We all have received certificates of participation as well as official cards verifying our certification should we ever need to show them in an emergency! I hope we never have to utilize the skills we learned, but it does bring one comfort knowing such experience exists in our library. In case of an emergency, give us a call!