DAPHNE, Ala.— The Daphne Fire Department will offer free CPR training at 6 p.m. April 4 at Fire Station 2, which is at 28280 N. Main Street.

The fire department offers free community CPR classes every month. The classes are taught by fire department personnel, who are all CPR instructors certified by the American Heart Association.

Tom Walker, public information officer for the Daphne Fire Department, said the basic CPR classes typically last for three hours.

The courses offered include a basic CPR class and healthcare personnel can stay for an additional hour for additional training necessary for their jobs, Walker said. The monthly classes will not certify participants to perform CPR, but use an approach, which teaches the core skills of CPR.

The core skills learned in the course are designed to teach someone the basics of CPR to sustain an individual in cardiac arrest in an emergency situation until emergency personnel arrives.

Walked said the skills learned in the CPR classes could help save someone’s life.

“You never know when you are going to come across somebody that has had a heart attack or stops breathing,” Walker said. “CPR is vital to continue the flow of blood throughout the system. You have to have blood flowing in order to maintain your blood circulation,” Walker said.

The CPR course also includes instruction for operating an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).

“It is always good to know how to use them if a situation comes up and an AED is available. If you don’t know the proper usage of an AED you won’t know what to do with it. [After training] you will know what to do and how to do it. Instinct kicks in and you save somebody’s life,” Walker said.

Participants will receive a take-home CPR kit and the skills necessary to assist in a cardiac emergency.

CPR certification requires passing a written test after completing a CPR course.

Space in the course is limited to 25 participants, to reserve a place in the course call 251-621-2802.