Marion Police Department and Metro Ambulance joined forces once again Thursday to host a third CPR training class for Marion residents.

 

Police Chief Randall Davis said the free classes are intended to increase the number of CPR people in town and grow the likelihood of someone having basic life-saving knowledge in the event of a cardiac event.

 

“The more people you’ve got qualified and educated on CPR, the better off we’re going to be, no matter where you’re at,” he said. “This is something that you don’t have to be here in Meridian. You don’t even have to be in Mississippi. You can be somewhere else. But I think this is something that we need to focus a little bit more on.”

 

In a medical emergency, seconds count, Davis said, and having someone performing CPR while emergency responders are on the way can be the deciding factor in whether someone lives or dies. With many Lauderdale County residents living in rural areas, CPR becomes even more vital as it takes longer for emergency medical professionals to get to the scene.

 

“It doesn’t take long to figure out, you let one thing happen, and things have happened where somebody was in a situation and didn’t know what to do,” he said. “Yeah, they called 911, but somebody needs to be doing something until Metro or somebody gets there, and who knows what the time frame is.”

 

Davis partnered with Metro Ambulance to launch the free CPR training in March and held a second class in April. As long as residents are interested in taking the class, he said he plans to continue offering it.

 

“We know a lot of people have lost their lives or could have been alive today if somebody knew what to do,” he said.

 

Those interested in signing up for the class are encouraged to call Marion Town Hall to put their names on the list for future classes, Davis said. Classes will be held monthly or every other month depending on interest and availability, he said.

 

While it works with Metro to train residents in CPR, Marion Police Department is also gearing up for its annual scholarship awards, Davis said. This year will see scholarships awarded to students representing 16 schools throughout the East Mississippi region.

 

The guest speaker for this year’s event will be Col. Charles Haynes, who serves as director of The Mississippi Highway Patrol.

 

Davis said the scholarships are a good way to show local students that their community cares about them and wants to see them succeed. They are the future leaders, he said, and it’s important to support them as they grow into young adults.