SPANISH FORT, Ala.—Local residents interested in learning the latest CPR techniques and earning certification from the American Heart Association in the process will have their chance Saturday at Spanish Fort Fire-Rescue’s Station 1.

Capt. Howard Popple, who will teach the day-long course, hopes to begin offering the course on a quarterly basis if response is strong.

“We saw a need in the community, and this is a way for us to help educate the public on life-saving measures they might be able to take in an emergency situation,” Popple said.

Capt. Brad Jernigan, who helped organize the course, said cardiac emergencies can occur “virtually anywhere” and on average a person goes into sudden cardiac arrest every two minutes somewhere in the United States.

“CPR is the most basic treatment for sudden cardiac arrest, and it will greatly improve the patient’s chances of survival,” Jernigan said.

In addition to teaching basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills, the course will introduce students to automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, which can be used in the event of a heart attack to get a heart pumping again.

Spanish Fort Fire Chief Roger Few said given their purpose the AEDs are “relatively inexpensive” at about $2,000, and each of the fire department’s vehicles has one on board. He said Spanish Fort Elementary School also has one on site and they have become popular items to have at gyms, shopping centers, airports and other locales where large groups of people congregate.

Jernigan said Saturday’s course will target people working in the health-care field, but anyone is welcome to attend. The charge for the event is $10 per person to cover the cost of the American Heart Association certification cards and upkeep of the CPR training equipment; seating is limited to 15.

Jernigan said the course will also offer instruction on clearing airway obstructions, and cover adult, child and infant CPR.

“Most cardiac arrests occur in the home, not in a health-care facility. The training that is received in one of these classes may allow someone to save the life of a family member, friend or neighbor, so while we hope it will never be put to use, CPR training is valuable to everyone, and we would like to recommend that everyone take a course,” Jernigan said.