November is CPR Month in Canada and Lisa Ochoa is offering a chance to learn the life saving skill next week in South Delta.
The former City of Richmond lifeguard, who runs her own lifesaving and first aid business, is holding three CPR and lifesaving boot camps next week.
She says CPR is a basic life skill that both kids and adults can learn.
"Once you know it, and once you understand what to do and the steps involved, then you have a skill for life."
The two-hour sessions will cover CPR and choking procedures for adults, children and infants. Ochoa will also explain what defibrillators are and how to use them along with basic home safety and prevention information.
She says it's rare somebody comes in just because they want to learn the skills; more often it's because of a work requirement that people learn CPR.
Eighty per cent of sudden cardiac arrests, heart attacks and major emergencies happen in the home, but survival rates in Canada are low because of the lack of bystander-initiated CPR, Ochoa says.
The first CPR and lifesaving boot camp will be held at Ladner Baptist Church (5624 Ladner Trunk Rd.) on Monday, Nov. 25 from noon to 2 p.m.
The second will be held at St. David's Anglican Church (1115-51A St.) in Tsawwassen on the same day from 7 to 9 p.m.
The third session will be at St. David's on Friday, Nov 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is $25 with $5 of that going towards the South Delta Food Bank. Child minding will be available with a cost of a nonperishable food item for the food bank.
The boot camps are noncertificate programs. Ochoa says she plans on holding more sessions in South Delta after Christmas.
Visit her Facebook page (Nauticus Lifesaving and First Aid) for more information.
