Wednesday 18 July, 2012
About 800 local primary school pupils will learn about cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) over the next few weeks through a Tamworth Regional Council program.
Pool Supervisor at Tamworth Regional Council South West Memorial Pool (Scully Park), Cameron McFarlane, will visit schools to raise awareness of CPR before the start of the swimming season.
Mr McFarlane, who has worked at council pools for more than six years, will talk to Year 5 and 6 pupils and explain how to perform CPR and give hands-on demonstrations using mannequins.
‘The aim is to make children more aware of CPR and what to do in certain situations where someone may be in need of help,’ he said.
‘Every minute counts in trying to save a life and I’d like to help children have an understanding of the right things to do in those situations.’
The program was run for first time in 2011 but this year there are more than double the number of students. The first sessions will be today at St Edwards Primary, Tamworth.
Over the next three weeks, Mr McFarlane will visit 12 different schools talking to groups of about 30 children in each session. Three sessions are being run at some schools with between 750 and 800 students expected to attend a CPR awareness talk.
‘A lot of school-age children use Council’s pools during the swimming season and I hope by talking to them there is an increase in their safety awareness both near water and in general,’ said Mr McFarlane.
‘It’s a very important message to get across. Hopefully by talking to students in the coming weeks, the information I share with them will be fresh in their minds for the start of the swim season.’
At Tamworth region pools, the swimming season for the general public starts on Monday, September 24 at the South West Memorial Pool (Scully Park). Council’s other pools will reopen on October 8.