4-Minute CPR That Saves Lives, You Can Do It Too!

Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters Strengthens Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training

The Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters announced on the 10th that it will expand cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education for residents this year.

The Fire Headquarters explained that following the Itaewon tragedy last year, public interest in emergency treatment such as CPR has increased, and they plan to promote customized education for residents to strengthen emergency treatment capabilities.

According to fire dispatch statistics, 1,652 patients were transported due to cardiac arrest in the province last year, and only 145 of them, accounting for 8.8%, were revived through CPR by 119 paramedics and citizens.

According to the Fire Headquarters, CPR is called the "4-minute miracle."

It is a very important emergency treatment that determines the survival of cardiac arrest patients. Although it may seem easy, chest compressions must be performed at a depth of 5-6 cm at a rate of 100-120 times per minute, which is physically demanding.

If compressions are not applied at the correct position, the organs of the person in need may be damaged, so repetitive training is necessary.

A firefighter is teaching CPR to an elementary school student.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters]

This year, the Fire Headquarters has set the policy goal of "educating 115,000 Gyeongnam residents" and plans to implement age-specific fire safety education tailored for infants, students, adults, and the elderly, as well as visiting safety education for vulnerable groups.

Starting this year, the practical CPR training hours for elementary, middle, and high school students will also be increased.

They have signed a business agreement with the Changwon, Eastern Gyeongnam, and Western Gyeongnam branches of the Korea Industrial Safety Association to provide education for industrial workers.

The 18 fire stations in the province will provide CPR education within operating facilities in cooperation with city and county sports centers and will operate practice rooms.

The general public CPR competition, which was held until 2020 and then suspended, will be held again in April this year.

Non-face-to-face CPR education can be received through real-time video lectures or video lectures on the online fire safety platform.

From April, ongoing education will be available in a virtual space using the metaverse.

In addition to CPR, other safety experience education such as disaster, fire, and elevator safety will be conducted at the Gyeongsangnam-do Safety Experience Center located in Hapcheon County.

Education can be applied for through the Safety Experience Center website or by calling the Safety Experience Center.

A Fire Headquarters official said, "When a sudden cardiac arrest patient occurs, prompt emergency treatment before the arrival of the 119 paramedics is most important," and added, "We hope many people participate in CPR education to learn this miraculous life-saving method."

The Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters lends automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and emergency treatment equipment free of charge to residents during small-scale sports events, festivals, picnics, school trips, seminars, and other events where on-site emergency medical posts are not operated to strengthen initial response to cardiac arrest and emergency patients.

Automated external defibrillators and emergency treatment equipment can be borrowed by contacting the nearest fire station.