Leader Staff
The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department is reviving a CPR course that had been previously cancelled due to a lack of participants.
Sheriff Adam Bieber said some initial miscommunication when the class was first announced caused some people who would otherwise have taken the class to believe it was more of a time commitment than it was.
The one-time class will be offered from 5-9 p.m. April 9 in the training room at the Sheriff’s Office, 405 N. Main St.
It is one of three safety courses the department has been offering. The others are a concealed-carry class and self-defense training.
Bieber said the CPR course was the one he most wanted to see people attend. He said people are more likely to find themselves in a situation where CPR is needed.
“Chances are greater of saving someone’s life with CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver or a defibrillator than of saving someone’s life with a gun,” he said.
The four-hour course will provide students with a two-year Red Cross certification in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, the use of automatic external defibrillators and offer guidance to provide initial response in choking situations.
There will be a $30 fee to cover the cost of the certification. To register or to ask any questions, contact office manager Kathy Sumnicht at 715-526-7925 from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Meanwhile, the department has had strong response to its other two courses, including the concealed-carry class taking place Saturday at the Shawano Lake County Park Pavilion.
Bieber said more than 40 people are expected to attend the class.
The department also offered the first of three self-defense classes Tuesday at Shawano Community Middle School.
Fifteen people attended Tuesday’s class, and Bieber said he expects the number to rise for the next two classes, which take place from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday and March 17.
Bieber said the courses were being offered in the interest of promoting community preparedness.
“We want people to be prepared to protect themselves, their loved ones and their neighbors,” he said. “We want you to call 911, but be prepared to save a life also. Be able to take action along with law enforcement.”