By Morgan Bryce
Staff Reporter
Equipping individuals with life-saving skills and knowledge is the goal of Opelika’s mobile CPR/first-aid training group, Care Point Resources.
Started in 2007 by Opelika firefighter Randy Boone, the business offers training for both individuals and businesses in first aid, CPR, recognition of blood-borne pathogen symptoms, babysitting safety and more.
“The majority of our training focuses on emergencies, including sudden cardiac arrest, and knowing how to respond appropriately as a bystander to improve the outcome of that situation,” Boone said.
With a staff of 15 instructors, Boone said Care Point has seen extensive growth, and has expanded to Montgomery, Birmingham and Pensacola, Fla.
“I never saw this growth coming because I’m not a business person. I’m a fireman, I’m a paramedic, and someone who’s just compassionate about helping people,” Boone said. “There was and still is a huge learning curve for me, and I feel like I’m re-inventing the wheel on a daily basis. But my passion for people is what keeps me going.”
Boone said Care Point recently became a distributor for six of the nation’s top automated electronic defibrillators, and added training of the device to their classes.
Citing recent American Heart Association statistics, Boone said proper CPR techniques or AED use can boost a victim’s survival chances nearly 75 percent until paramedics arrive.
“If an emergency happens on-site, and bystanders simply leave it up to EMS to intervene, that individual has an 8-10 percent chance to survive. But, if bystanders can perform CPR, or if they have an AED readily available and can use it within four minutes, they can achieve up to a nearly 85-percent chance of survival,” Boone said.
Care Point offers a free, monthly training session at Collaboration Station, which is open to the public. For more information or to schedule a training session, visit www.carepointresources.com or call (877) 242-2527.