RPA students learn to save lives

Noah Loving (9th) and Ryder Byrnes (11th) practice Adult CPR

Every year, for the past 13 years, the loud sound of “One, and two, and three, and four, and five….” can be heard coming from Tamara Bremont’s classroom at the Redmond Proficiency Academy (RPA).  What may sound like simple counting are actually critical steps in learning the correct pace of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

Every semester of every year since RPA was founded, Bremont has been teaching students to save lives as part of her Community Health course.  On top of having the ability to earn their Adult and Pediatric CPR certifications, Community Health students can also be certified in the use of AEDs, first aid, bloodborne pathogens, food safety, and HIPAA training. 

“I absolutely love teaching students how to save lives”, said Bremont, “Every semester I have between 60-75 students take Community Health and it’s the one class where, year after year, students come back and tell me that they used what I taught them or the skills and certifications helped them get a job”.  

Bremont’s Community Health Class poses with infant manikins after practicing how to help conscious choking infants.

If performed within the first few minutes of cardiac arrest, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival, but it takes people in the community that know CPR in order to make that work.  Bremont estimates that she’s trained well over 1,500 students in this life-saving skill while at RPA.

“I always tell students that I hope that they never have to use it, but, if they are ever in a situation where CPR is needed, they will be glad they learned it,” added Bremont.

Bremont has been  CPR/ First Aid certified through the Red Cross for almost 36 years and is grateful to have a class where she can share these skills with students.