Saving lives in more ways than one: KDOT crews attend first-aid and CPR training

By Tim Potter
South Central Kansas
Public Affairs Manager 

KDOT employees recently had the opportunity to participate in critical first-aid and CPR training across the state. 

During KDOT first-aid/CPR training in Hutchinson, Hutchinson Community College
trainer Leann Bravi shows how to give a rescue breath.

First aid tips to remember

Here are key tips from recent KDOT first-aid and CPR training provided by instructors with Hutchinson Community College.

--When you encounter an emergency, pause before approaching and ask yourself: Is it safe?

--If the person is responsive, ask them if you can help.

-Unresponsive patient, chest not moving for five seconds? Call 911, or have someone call 911 while you tend to the person. More steps below.

--Bleeding profusely? Put direct pressure on the wound immediately. More below.

--Possible poisoning? See hotline number at bottom.

--Use common sense. Extensive medical knowledge is not necessary.

--Keep safety gloves and glasses in your first aid kit. Regularly replace gloves before they deteriorate. Use them for your protection. Know how to remove the gloves without contaminating yourself or others.

--Don’t move someone unless they are in imminent danger.

--You should not leave the person you are aiding until other help is available.

During KDOT first-aid/CPR training in Hutchinson, trainer Leann Bravi demonstrates chest compressions

How to revive

--If the person is in cardiac arrest or not breathing, remember that EMS is probably at least nine to 10 minutes away, so the person needs immediate CPR. You can provide life-saving help with a combination of high-quality chest compressions, rescue breaths and an AED (automated external defibrillator), a portable device that analyzes a heart’s rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and gives an electric shock to restore a life-saving rhythm.

--What are high-quality chest compressions? With the person on their back on a flat and firm surface, get your hands in place, remembering that the heart is centrally located in the chest, says Leann Bravi, Public Health and Safety instructor/coordinator with Hutchinson Community College. For an adult, remember to push down at least 2 inches with targeted pressure from the heel of your hand. For a small child, the compression depth should be a little less, about 2 inches. Let the chest fully rebound with each compression. Give 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Count them. In most cases, it takes more than two minutes for CPR to revive the person.

--When giving rescue breaths, first lift the jaw to clear the airway. Give two rescue breaths at a time in close repetition, using a mask if you have one in your kit.

KDOT District Five employees practice using an AED during first aid/CPR training in Wichita.

--Using an AED: There are different brands, but the same basic steps apply. The device will tell you what to do. Get clear of the patient before you hit the shock button.

--With an opioid overdose that causes a person to stop breathing, “CPR would be your primary intervention,” Bravi says. One way to revive the person is to administer naloxone, a medication that counters the effects of an overdose.

How to stop bleeding

KDOT District Five employees learn how to use a tourniquet during first
 aid training in Wichita.

--If direct pressure from your hand or knee doesn’t work, pack the wound, using gauze from your kit or improvised material like a T-shirt or rag. Poke the material toward the heart. And don’t be afraid to use a tourniquet above the wound. If you don’t have a tourniquet in your kit, improvise with a ratchet strap or belt.

--It’s preventable: “Nobody has to die from bleeding,” Bravi says. “It can be controlled by packing, pressure, tourniquets.”

--Bleeding can cause the person to go into shock. “Probably some of the best first aid a person can give is that ‘calm, comfort, reassure,’” Bravi says.

How to deal with poisoning

--Call the Poison Control Center hotline: 1-800-222-1222.

One of the key take-aways crews in Bonner Springs took away was overcoming doubt about when and how to help using the acronym F.E.A.R: Face Everything And Rise. 

Crews in Bonner Springs watch as their instructor demonstrates how to revive someone in need of emergency first aid.