Hundreds of Georgetown County high school seniors learn CPR
It wasn’t the typical lineup of lessons Thursday for hundreds of high school seniors in Georgetown County thanks to special CPR training sessions led by Tidelands Health and Midway Fire Rescue.
The two organizations teamed up to provide CPR training for more than 400 seniors at the four high schools in Georgetown County. The students learned how to provide chest compressions and how to use an AED, as well as how to ensure a scene is safe and the best way to call for help.
“We had an opportunity to teach and touch the lives of 400 children in our four area high schools,” said Thais Thomas, director and diversity officer for organizational development at Tidelands Health.
This was the first year Tidelands Health and Midway partnered to provide this comprehensive training for seniors in Georgetown County schools. The team led training sessions at Carvers Bay High School, Andrews High School, Georgetown High School and Waccamaw High School.
Sharon Parrott, education specialist with Tidelands Health, coordinated the effort on behalf of Tidelands Health. Representatives from seven health system departments participated.
South Carolina now requires that high school students learn hands-on CPR as part of the high school health education curriculum. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.