20 things You Need to Know Before Leaving High School at the Calhoun County Library

 Part Five: Emergency Protocols

            When an emergency arises, we all need to be prepared. That’s why the Calhoun County Library welcomed county service members last Tuesday for Teen Night to show them important procedures to follow in case of an emergency.

            On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, our Teen Night program focused on what to do during an emergency as part of the 20 Things You Need to Know Before Leaving High School series.

            EMS Kelsey Willis came to Teen Night with his friends (CPR dummies) to briefly talk about the importance of knowing how to do CPR. Even if you only know the basics, it could save someone’s life. Teens were informed about how to assess the situation, how to call for help, how to decide if a person needs CPR, how to check for a pulse, how to prepare the person to receive CPR, and the proper way to fold their hands in order to perform CPR. Willis told them to push down on the chest 2-2.5” and to allow the chest to recoil before the next chest pump. They were taught to give 100-120 chest pumps per minute. Willis showed the teens the correct way to perform CPR on the dummy and then it was their turn to give it a try. Every teen was allowed to practice administering CPR on a dummy. They quickly realized that it was much more difficult than they expected. Keeping your arms straight while trying to keep the rhythm of the song “Staying Alive” in your head was no easy task. The teens even practiced trading off with a partner while not missing a beat of the chest pumps. Willis informed the teens that if they stop chest compressions even for a second, the person will not have as good a chance of surviving. After they practiced CPR, the teens then got a lesson on how to do the Heimlich maneuver if they are ever in the area of someone who is choking.  Willis showed them where to place their fists and how to push in and up  to dislodge any obstruction. In addition, he briefly touched on how to use a tourniquet and how to stop bleeding in severe situations. 

            After instructions on CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, and using a tourniquet, the teens were introduced to the Chief of the St. Matthews Fire department, Greg Sandlin and firefighter Corey Sandifer. They taught the teenagers how to properly use a fire extinguisher. After receiving instructions, the teens were taken outside to give it a try.  Some tips that they were given were to only aim towards the base of a fire to put it out and that there are different fire extinguishers for different types of fires. And, of course, if you are on fire, stop, drop, and roll.

            Our teenagers had a lot of fun learning what to do in case of an emergency and had even more fun being hands-on with test dummies and fire extinguishers! This was a very educational evening. Our teens love coming to 20 Things You Need to Know Before Leaving High School at the Calhoun County Library. If you have a teenager between the ages of 12 – 17, join us for Teen Nights every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 5 PM – 6:30 PM.

            Thank you to everyone who attended and Kelsey Willis, Corey Sandifer, and Chief Greg Sandlin for coming to educate the teens of our community.