When it comes to compliance training, companies generally have their own unique approach to life-saving CPR training for staff. At ProTrainings, we enjoy getting to know our corporate partners so that we can help them choose the right training for their staff and develop an implementation mode that works best for their needs.
Through getting to know these amazing companies, we’ve also come to admire many for their values and their follow-through. One of our partners is a large national fitness franchise and they have proven themselves to be an excellent example of one such company that practices what they preach.
To their guests, their gyms are inclusive spaces where anyone at any fitness level can come in and work out. As our partner, this company is setting a new standard for CPR training across the board. Here’s how you can, too!
The Fitness Franchise’s Rescue-Enabling Culture
Our partner – who humbly prefers to remain anonymous – is not only an authority on creating a judgment-free zone for their customers to work towards personal fitness — they also succeed in training staff members to be ready to step up to save a life in an emergency.
This fitness giant requires all staff trainers to be CPR certified. With thousands of branches and an even higher number of staff members operating under widely diverse schedules, they needed CPR training that could be tailored to best prepare each staff member individually.
This training proved invaluable in March of 2019 when a gym-goer in Wilmington, Massachusetts suddenly collapsed and was barely breathing. A staff member was able to retrieve the defibrillator and provide first aid until emergency services could arrive on scene and transport the man to the hospital.
The first responders who arrived on the scene credit the quick actions of the gym employee in helping to provide first aid when minutes mattered most.
As a gym owner, you might be wondering how often this happens. While many think that having AEDs publicly available is enough to safeguard against such events, unfortunately that’s just not the case. Cardiac arrest does not discriminate. It can happen to any person, at any age, at any time.
Cardiac Arrest Explained
While heart attacks are caused by a blockage obstructing one or more of the coronary arteries, cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. In cardiac arrest, the heartbeat goes haywire, speeding up or slowing down or stopping entirely (also known as arresting.)
Cardiac arrest is also deadly. Without immediate medical intervention in the form of CPR and AED usage, the survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is less than 1 in 10. Though there are risk factors that contribute to cardiac arrest, over half of cardiac arrest victims never knew they had a heart problem.
That includes cardiac arrest in young athletes. Stanford Medicine reports that 1 in 80,000 young athletes die of cardiac arrest each year, with cardiac arrest in youth sports occurring once every five days.
Disconcerting as those statistics may seem, CPR training can and does save the lives of cardiac arrest victims. A woman working out at a Life Time Fitness center in Minnesota collapsed, but was quickly revived by CPR-certified staff who confidently and correctly used the gym’s AED.
The best way to combat the deadly unpredictability of cardiac arrest is through education and intervention. If your staff feels confident and capable – and if they’re equipped with the tools they need, like AEDs – they can save lives.
Keeping Your Community Safe
As a business owner, you are a gatekeeper of your community. Your establishment serves purposes beyond health and fitness. It is a place where people gather and form connections to enrich their lives while strengthening their bodies.
Therefore, it can be said that your responsibility to your community extends past your doors. When you invest time and resources into training your staff, there is a ripple effect of safety. The training they have goes where they go, making it possible for them to step in and save a life anytime, anywhere.
If you make your patrons aware that your staff is CPR certified, it demonstrates a commitment to your community and a standard of quality that boosts your reputation. You can even choose to involve your community in CPR training efforts, sharing knowledge and information that may empower others to seek CPR certification as well.
Having your staff obtain CPR certification doesn’t just make your gym safer — it makes your community safer, too.
Supporting Your Staff
No matter the industry, when your staff is trained and prepared, not only can they save a life in an emergency, they also know that you’re investing in their skills and safety.
A company like this one is a great example of providing quality training while managing costs and simplifying administrative headaches. But this fitness franchise doesn’t have to stand alone. Contact us today to learn more about how ProTrainings can help you make getting your staff CPR certified easier and more efficient.