No matter how soon you call 9-1-1 after someone becomes ill or is injured, has a heart attack or stroke, and no matter how quickly First Responders are dispatched, the victim can die or suffer serious and permanent injury without First Aid.
A person can bleed to death in minutes. Brain cells can start dying after just 5 minutes without oxygen, such as from smoke inhalation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heart attack, choking, drowning, drug overdose, or stroke. After 6 minutes, brain damage is very likely. Irreversible brain damage is a certainty after 10 minutes without enough oxygen. During heart attacks when the heart does not get enough oxygen, heart tissue also dies and causes permanent damage. Yet it can take five minutes or more for First Responders to arrive, even in urban areas and under the best of conditions. In rural areas where people may live or work or enjoy outdoor activities far from the nearest fire station, it can take much longer for help to arrive.
First Aid Provided Before First Responders Arrive Is Critical To Survival
Click here for a directory of organizations that provide First Aid and CPR Training in Colorado.
Click here to access videos providing an introduction to CPR for adults, children and babies, including AED (Automated External Defribilators). (AEDs are portable, automatic defibrillators which are now accessible in many businesses and public buildings and areas, for use in providing First Aid to a victim of a heart attack. They provide a shock to restart the heart, similar to defibrillators used in a hospital environment, except that audible instructions are provided to the user.)
Please Note: These videos provide an introduction to CPR and use of AEDs. They are not a substitute for CPR classes and practice on resuscitation dummies.