“Even though none of us had ever seen a Playboy magazine (which we constantly lied about), we figured going to the pool was the next best thing…” The Narrator of the 1993 film The Sandlot.
Before I get to my story, a bit of encouragement for those of you who aren’t CPR certified: Heart disease continues to be the number one cause of death in the United States, costing $240 billion annually. Myocardial infarction, commonly referred to as heart attack, occurs every 40 seconds in this country. Proper administration of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately after cardiac arrest can double or even triple the chance of survival. Techniques such as CPR along with its companions continuous chest compressions (CCC) and cardio cerebral resuscitation (CCR) are much simpler than their names suggest. Depending on the quality and complexity of curriculum sought, inexpensive (and sometimes free) classes can be found locally. The most common method taught to the average person doesn’t involve “mouth to mouth”. Bystanders are protected from lawsuits by Good Samaritan doctrines. If you are hesitant or scared when the time comes to use these critical skills, your 911 dispatcher has emergency medical training to guide you over the phone until first responders arrive. Take it from someone who has been certified for a few decades and has taught countless others how to do it: it’s easy, it’s worth it, and every one of you can learn it.
“It all started when I became a lifeguard at age 15.” This has been my go-to hook for opening up the conversation when people ask how I got started doing what I’m doing. I wasn’t old enough to drive, so after chivalrously making sure a certain classmate made it safely across the busy street into their neighborhood each afternoon, I would rush home from high school on my BMX bike to do homework (or just not do it at all, but that’s a different blog) before heading off to lifeguard training a few nights per week and all day on Saturdays. My friends were riding skateboards and playing video games as I was learning how to save distressed swimmers and apply pressure dressings to hemorrhaging wounds. The instructors had us watch unedited video recordings of actual fatal pediatric drownings at public pools to show us what happens to lifeguards who think the job is all about getting a tan and admiring the physique of scantily clad swimmers. On my final CPR test, I had to show correct physical hand placement for chest compressions on a very attractive human female who was acting as a “victim” and wearing only a swimsuit (imagine if they tried that these days). Fun fact for my fellow basic life support providers, this was back in the day when the CPR compression-to-breath ratio for adults was still 15:2.
That level of training causes someone to develop maturity at a relatively rapid rate. Pro tip for the parents: Lifeguarding also gets your teenagers out of the house and making their own money during summer break! It was when I first learned of my propensity for utilizing specialized skills to help people in danger. As soon as I met the age requirements, I earned additional certifications as an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor and Lifeguard Instructor (both will be the subject of future blogs) before promoting to head lifeguard. That wasn’t enough. I needed more, but where would I get it? As it turns out, the answer had been sitting right in front of me the entire time.
To be continued…
The Dark Passport 