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National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) week and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week

Heroes Arn’t Borne, Their Trained – Learn CPR

     On December 11, 2007 congress passed a bill designating the first week in June as “National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) week and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week”.  This bill helps emphasize the importance of learning CPR and AED use for helping those who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) the leading killer in the United States.

     SCA is when the electrical system of the heart malfunctions and causes the heart to stop beating.  Starting CPR immediately and getting an AED is what is needed to increase the success of restarting the heart.  There are over 300,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest each year with over a 94% mortality rate.  CPR can circulate oxygenated blood to the cells of the body while waiting for first responders with an AED.  It is estimated that on average it takes eight to ten minutes for first responders (911) to reach the victim.  With each minute that passes without CPR being performed the chances of survival decreases by about 10% per minute.  Because of this figure it is essential for bystanders to know how to perform CPR and understand the use of an AED.

    If a bystander does not know how to do the steps of CPR they can do the following for a witnessed adult collapse.

• Call 911 
• Push hard and fast on the center of the chest

Don’t be afraid.  Your actions only can help. 

Effective CPR can DOUBLE or TRIPLE the survival rates from SCA.  According to the American Heart Association fewer that 1/3 of cardiac arrest victims receives CPR.  CPR is easy to learn and can be done at home, at a training facility in your area or someone can come to your workplace or organization and provide training.  The American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical Corporation have produced a CPR Anytime Kit for learning CPR at home.  These kits are available from LifeSavers, Inc. located in Fairfield, NJ.  Additionally, LifeSavers, Inc. provides CPR/AED/First Aid training both at your location and at their Fairfield facility.   Lets all learn CPR the first week in June, “National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) week and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week”.  Call for information 973-244-9111 or visit www.LifeSaversInc.com. Lets train one million people in one week!

About the Author

Scott Larson has more than thirty five years of experience in the emergency medical service field, most of them as an Emergency Medical Technician. Scott is certified as an instructor for the American Heart Association for CPR and First Aid for over 30 years and is currently a Regional Faculty Member for the American Heart Association. Scott joined LifeSavers, Inc. with 15 years experience as director of the EMS Training Institute at Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ. His responsibilities included overseeing the training of the doctors and nurses in three hospitals, as well as overseeing the Emergency Medical Training program. Scott is certified to teach many topics related to the EMS and Corporate safety.

Northeast Organic Farming Association – New Jersey

Fresh Produce Sweet Pea Five-Piece Organic Layette Set $49.99 Baby Aspen goes green with an amazingly adorable, organic, five-piece layette set that makes sweet peas even sweeter! It all starts with a natural woven-wood basket filled with sweet peas. The graphic of a small, swaddled baby snuggled in half a pea pod appears on the blanket, PJs, cap and bib, and a green,sweet-pea pod rattle on top makes this magnificent baby gift ready for market! Features and facts:Soft-beige, organic layette set includes a 24 ½ “” x 28 ¾ “” blanket, footed PJ’s, cap, bib and pea-pod rattle Blanket, PJ’s, hat and bib are imprinted with the Sweet Pea graphic (a bundled baby in a pea pod) framed by sage-green faux stitching Machine-washable, 100% organic cotton

The Produce Contamination Problem: Causes And Solutions $95.99 This book is organized into five sections beginning with an introduction in which the problem is described in terms of the number and size of produce related outbreaks the commodities involved and the human pathogens involved. The introduction also documents the failure of conventional sanitizing treatments to assure microbiological safety examining the problems of microbial attachment. The second section reviews methods of identifying a contamination source (epidemiology trace back strain identification location of Source) and then focuses on the various sources of microbial contamination (water manure airborne dust wildlife human activity) and where in the crop production sequence they might result in contamination. In the third section some of the commodities associated with major outbreaks (leafy vegetables tomatoes cantaloupes apples berries sprouts) are examined to determine what characteristics make them especially vulnerable to contamination. The fourth section then addresses means of avoiding produce contamination through use of Good Agricultural Practices and recommendations in FDA and industry guidance documents. Regulatory actions (recalls restrictions on imports) to safeguard the public from potentially hazardous products are described. Coverage includes policy and practices in the US Mexico and Central America Europe and Japan. The fifth section examines current technologies for reducing human pathogens in fresh produce including disinfection rapid methods for detecting contaminants irradiation gas-phase application and best practices acceptable to organic growers packers and processors. *Addresses foodborne contaminations from a prevention view providing pro-active solutions to the problems *Covers core sources of contamination and methodologies for identifying those sources *Includes best practice and regulatory information