This week on PTW, we were the guests of Portsmouth Fire Chief Mike Cranson at the Portsmouth Fire House. We were there to discuss the recent designation of Portsmouth as a "HEARTSafe" Community by the American Heart Association, accomplished through the individual efforts of Fire Fighter Dominic (Nik) Lautieri. Mike and Nik discussed what this designation means to the town and what was required to get it.
Essentially this initiative is based on the principle that lives can be saved by increasing the number of community members that are trained in CPR (Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation) and the number of first responders equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). There are currently 23 AEDs located at public places throughout the town and the Fire Department is offering two kinds of training to the public. The first training program is simple "hands-only" CPR, known as the "Pledge to Push" program. This simple form of CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for sudden cardiac arrests and greatly increases the victim's chance of recover. A short video of this method is available online at www.heart.org/handsonlycpr
The second course being offered is learning how to use the AEDs, a longer course in the use of these defibrillators, known as the "Friends and Family" program. Both methods were demonstrated by Firefighter Lautieri in the Fire House's Emergency Operation Center.
To learn more about HEARTSafe Portsmouth or these courses, contact Firefighter Dominic Lautieri at 401-683-1200. Watch the program in its entirety at http://youtu.be/_DhIC8WL5IM
Portsmouth this Week, the “Voice of Portsmouth Town Hall” is a weekly public TV program sponsored by Town Administrator John Klimm to provide a forum for issues of concern to the Portsmouth Community. These programs are aired on Cox Channel 18 at various times and past editions can be accessed from the Town’s website.
