Damar Hamlin collapse showed need for CPR training. Our staff got it. You should, too.
Kimberly Cataudella makes everyone smile. It doesn’t matter if you’re meeting Kimberly for the first or 800th time. She has that glowy-face-creating gift.
I’m proud of Kimberly for many reasons that go beyond her role as a service journalist. The News & Observer’s service journalists explain news topics with stories written in a way that’s easy to read and understand. Kimberly understands the importance of these stories.
We all had questions and concerns when Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed from cardiac arrest during a Jan. 2 game. If this could happen to a professional athlete, what about us?
The day after Hamlin’s collapse shook our sense of mortality, The N&O’s Korie Dean and Kimberly published a story outlining how CPR can save lives and where you can get free training in the Triangle. It was a quintessential example of service journalism at work.
When Kimberly found out Wake County Emergency Medical Services offered free training, she asked editors if we’d be interested in our staff learning CPR. That’s how three members of Wake County EMS ended up in The N&O newsroom 15 days after Hamlin’s life-changing moment.
On-site newsroom training
The N&O launched #ToolkitTuesday last fall. It’s a weekly on-site training series focused on newsgathering topics that won’t necessarily inspire future Netflix docuseries — from how to develop news sources to turning data into potential stories.
CPR training, though, made sense for our journalists. We’ve covered a lot of major breaking news stories in recent months. Our front-line journalists have seen first responders at work. And, most importantly, we have family, friends, neighbors and colleagues, too.
Hamlin is early in what doctors describe as a long recovery, but his chances of survival were enhanced exponentially due to CPR in the minutes after his collapse.
We’re grateful to Brian Banks, Gabi Resh and Bertice Jones of Wake County EMS for spending two hours with us. We had a chance to practice CPR and learn how to operate an AED (automated external defibrillator).
(If you live in Wake County and are interested in learning more, go to wakegov.com, click on “Departments and Government” atop the page and then look for Emergency Medical Services. Their general contact number is 919-856-6020.)
‘Stayin’ Alive’
Banks, Wake County EMS’ assistant chief of community outreach, stressed often that immediate action is essential.
If someone has stopped breathing, don’t hesitate to call 911.
And don’t hesitate to start chest compressions immediately.
Here is the CDC’s advice on giving CPR, even if you aren’t fully trained: Push down hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 pushes a minute. Let the chest come back up to its normal position after each push. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends timing your pushes to the beat of the song “Stayin’ Alive.” This method of CPR is called “hands-only” and does not involve breathing into the person’s mouth.
I’m thankful for first responders — like Brian, Gabi and Bertice — for taking time out of their schedules to teach the community.
I’m thankful for Kimberly for connecting our journalists with this vital training.
And I’m thankful that you felt it was important to read to this point. Because you must have family, friends and neighbors who cherish your smile.
Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer.
