SAVES now has eight trained CPR instructors in its ranks — a large increase from the two it has typically had at its disposal.

The change is the result of one-fifth of SAVES members — five compensated staff and three volunteers — this week having completed an eight-hour CPR instructor training course.

“We’ve had two CPR instructors in the past and as CPR gets more prevalent we want to be able to flood the area with CPR training,” said Jeff VanBeveren, SAVES executive director. “The number one way to achieve success in a resuscitation situation is to have someone trained in CPR and with access to an AED at the victim’s side.”

With so many trained CPR instructors now at SAVES, they will not have to spread two people so thin across the coverage area anymore, but will have multiple instructors available to give information and training to various businesses and organizations, such as local school districts, VanBeveren said.

The recent training occurred over a two-day period (Sept. 13 and 20) at the SAVES building at 77 Fennell Street. It was taught by Ed Moser, the public education supervisor for Rural/Metro Medical Services.

Not only is the number of instructors new this year, but so is the type of CPR taught. Previously, SAVES taught the American Red Cross CPR technique, but this year switched to teaching the American Heart Association technique.

Fundamentally, “CPR is CPR,” VanBeveren said, but the AHA CPR standards are the universally accepted standards in the medical community, which makes it more attractive. Also, and more importantly, working with the AHA, SAVES can be more collaborative with Rural/Metro as a CPR training site, which makes it much easier to accomplish the administrative aspects of training and certification than it was under the Red Cross, VanBeveren said.

For information about CPR and CPR training, contact SAVES at 685-5217 or visit savesambulance.com.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].