By Mitch Lehman
San Marino Tribune
The San Marino Fire Department had modest goals at a recent community first aid and safety course.
“We hope to share something that is useful to you,” said acting Fire Captain Dave Tannehill.
The SMFD went over basic CPR, first aid and even tossed in some firefighting for good measure for the 30 or so San Marino residents who came to the seminar.
“You don’t want to use these strategies for the first time when you are in an emergency,” Tannehill said. “It is our mission that we are at the service of the people of the city of San Marino.”
The first station was a review of CPR methods. Tannehill said that the chest compressions may be administered with the beat of the Bee Gees’ hit song “Stayin’ Alive,” which he sang in accompaniment to his own compressions, which are best kept between 60 and 100 per minute.
Tannehill mentioned that a human being who is struggling to breathe has between four and six units of oxygen in their blood and that the blood merely needs to be circulated through the person’s circulatory system.
He said that it is sometimes necessary to injure a victim’s rig cage while performing the life-saving chest compressions.
“Anything you are doing is better than where they are right now,” Tannehill explained.
Tannehill then showed how to use the AED, or automatic defibrillator, to restore a heartbeat to a fallen person. Tannehill explained how the AED will tell the responder what is needed and the next steps that must be taken.
Tannehill then showed the proper method of applying the Heimlich maneuver to a choking victim.
The firefighter-paramedics then moved on to the bandaging and splinting portion of the first-aid demonstration.
“Apply direct pressure to the wound if it is bleeding,” said Alfonso Jimenez and Alec Martinez, who worked in tandem on the presentation.
When explaining the proper method to apply a tourniquet, Jimenez said that “most people are afraid to put on a tourniquet because most people feel it is a life-or-death procedure.”
“Tourniquets are safe,” he said, adding that it is a good rule of thumb to apply the tourniquet “above the injury.”
The firefighters then displayed the art of fighting an actual fire, which was placed in the parking lot behind the SMFD.
Residents took turns putting out the small fire with a fire extinguisher. Again, the SMFD offered an acronym to help remember the procedure.
PASS — “P” is to pull the pin of the fire extinguisher, A is “aim” the extinguisher at the fire, the first S is to “squeeze” the trigger of the fire extinguisher and the second S is to “sweep” the area that is consumed by fire.
“What really kills people is the smoke,” said Tannehill. “The extinguisher just gives us a shot at knocking the fire down.”
The demonstration was handed over to the San Marino Police Department, who participated in the course by explaining the department’s child registration program, which helps residents provide a current photo to authorities and other tips in the event a child is missing.
San Marino Police officer Jeremy Bestpitch also explained the SMPD’s Neighborhood Watch Program, which he manages, and encouraged residents to get involved in the popular community-oriented safety procedures.
“I am very proud of our culture of service to the community,” said Fire Chief Mario Rueda, who also serves as the acting city manager. “I am so proud to be associated with them.”
