OSERVS to host CPR certification classes today, this Saturday

There is never a bad time to have knowledge, especially if said knowledge could save a life.

Today and this coming Saturday, Oktibbeha-starkville Emergency Response Volunteer Services (OSERVS) will be hosting CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) certification classes at their office at Synergetics Plaza on Highway 12.

As a volunteer-led emergency response agency for Starkville and Oktibbeha County, OSERVS instructors offer a variety of health and safety courses for the public with “Heartsaver” being the option for the non-healthcare professional that teaches them CPR techniques that can double or even triple the chances of survival.

“There may be a situation where you’re at a restaurant when you least expect something to happen to where you would need to use CPR; you never know when you need this,” said Kayla Gilmore, OSERVS Executive Director. “This is the quickest way to resuscitate someone and save a life until the ambulance and EMTS arrive on the scene. We also touch on first aid procedures, which is a plus. We’re encouraging everybody, as many people as possible, to come and learn CPR with us.”

Hildred Deese, who serves on the Board for OSERVS and is also the lead instructor for OSERVS’ CPR classes, touched on why it is important for the ordinary citizen to know how to perform CPR.

“As an instructor, I am preparing class members to save lives. For example, most heart emergencies occur outside the hospital, and so the better we can prepare just the average ordinary citizen to respond to heart emergencies, the more lives we’ll be able to save,” said Deese. “These classes are vital for people who need to learn about how to save others’ lives, especially from heart failures. We also cover the choking emergencies where a person would die. If there was not a first aider there who could help expel whatever’s choking them, we provide that training in this class, as well as the first aid necessary for opioid emergencies, for those trying to commit suicide through painkillers. We talk about that and talk about the things that they might need to know to provide first aid and help save a life that way.”

OSERVS is also offering a basic life support (BLS) class on October 14, which is designed for those in the healthcare industry. It is required for nursing candidates and may be renewed every two years.

To sign up for either todays or Saturday’s CPR certification classes, you can text your name, email, and cell phone number to 662-341-0287. If you wish to sign up for the BLS class on October 14, you can text that same information to 662-352-4267.

There is a class fee of $30.

The OSERVS office is located at 501 Highway 12 W Suite 130.