The two CPR courses will provide community members with the basic training to perform CPR until first responders can take over, said Coventry EMS Chief Operating Officer Kyle Griffith. (Photo from Coventry EMS media gallery)

COVENTRY– Coventry Emergency Squad (EMS) is hosting two CPR classes in September at the Coventry Volunteer Fire Company at 109 North Rd. in Greene.

The first course, on September 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers certification for hands-only American Heart Association (AHA) Heartsaver CPR for adults, children and infants and AED use, said Coventry EMS Chief Operating Officer Kyle Griffith. It costs $50 to cover the certification e-card and other training expenses, Griffith said.

Griffith said CPR training is vital in helping someone stay alive and breathing, especially a family member or loved one.

“The golden answer would be to save somebody's life, because you never know where you're going to be, the right person in the right place at the right time,” Griffith said. “But in the end, not just saving anybody's life– it could be a family member.”

The second course, on September 23 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., covers free infant and toddler CPR general knowledge to relieve choking, Griffith said.

Griffith said Coventry EMS is currently the only AHA training site in Chenango County, and the agency’s goal is to provide CPR training for community members who want or need it.

“The idea behind it is to offer the community something– to have CPR close to home, where they don't have to drive to some big city,” Griffith said.

The courses will feature in-class videos and demonstrations by an instructor, one being Griffith. The sessions emphasize hands-on opportunity to practice CPR using mannequins and develop muscle memory, Griffith said.

“It's the hands-on portion that we really push in these courses,” Griffith said. “You can watch a video all day long, but nothing is really real until you put your hands on it and actually do it.”

Although the second session is targeted for people with children or who deal with children, Griffith said the first basic CPR class is for anyone who is able to perform the procedure– “an adolescent or teenager, somebody who understands general direction, up through as old as they can get down on their knees and do CPR.”

Griffith said the agency decided to host these two training sessions first since they were the leading topics requested by a poll of over 100 respondents.

Coventry EMS has planned to hold different CPR, AED and first-aid courses every three months, Griffith said. With Chenango County’s smaller population total, Griffith said holding sessions more frequently isn’t necessary.

The agency has been teaching CPR for all ages since 2018, Griffith said, and courses are open to the general public and not just county residents.

According to the Coventry EMS training and education program schedule, as of Thursday, there are eight spots out of 10 still open in each session. Those interested in taking the courses can sign up here.