FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, June 14, 2004
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Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Flag Day Training to Focus on First Aid Skills for Citizens of the National Capital Region |
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As a salute to Flag Day, the American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI)
today trained 200 citizens from the National Capital Region in basic first aid,
cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, and automatic external defibrillator use. ASHI
is an affiliate of Citizen Corps, the Department of Homeland Security's
grassroots initiative that encourages everyone to play a role in hometown
security through personal preparedness, training, and volunteer service.
C. Suzanne Mencer, Director of the Office of State and Local Government
Coordination and Preparedness expressed her support for the training, "The flag
is one of our strongest unifying national symbols and Flag Day offers us the
opportunity to reflect on what it means to be an American. Embracing the
responsibility to get training to help others in times of crisis exemplifies the
American spirit and I congratulate these participants."
Coordinated by the Citizen Corps councils of the National Capital Region,
residents of the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland attended the
training, which was co-sponsored by Nextel, Inc. a leading provider of fully
integrated wireless communications services and Medtronic, the world leader in
medical technology, pioneering therapies that restore health, extend life and
alleviate pain, including AEDs.
In 95 percent of all emergencies, either the victim or a bystander provides
the first, critical assistance at the scene. Training is essential to ensure
that we all have the necessary life-saving skills. "When people take personal
responsibility to be prepared, get training, and volunteer to support their
local first responders, we become a stronger nation," said Barbara Childs-Pair,
Director of the DC Emergency Management Agency, "Citizens and their actions can
make a significant difference."
ASHI trains approximately one million-plus students each year in its
life-saving training programs. Working with Citizen Corps, ASHI encourages these
trainees to help implement local Citizen Corps programs and to volunteer for
local Citizen Corps Councils around the country. "With training in life-saving
and safety skills, we can all be prepared to help others and to be effective in
a crisis situation," says Gregg Rich, chair of the board of directors for ASHI.
"We are delighted to facilitate this training for the citizens of the National
Capital Region."
A vital part of USA Freedom Corps, Citizen Corps (www.citizencorps.gov)
encourages everyone in America to answer the President's "call to service" and
take an active role in building safer, stronger and better-prepared communities
through preparedness, training, and volunteer service. The Department's website,
www.ready.gov, also provides
critical information on citizen preparedness.
ASHI is a not for profit association of professional safety & health
educators focusing on excellence in education in the areas of CPR, AED, First
Aid, workplace safety/disaster preparedness, rescue and wilderness survival
skills, among others, while successfully targeting all areas of safety and
health, helping to educate the lay public and emergency service professionals
alike. To learn more about ASHI's programs, visit
www.ashinstitute.org.
The National Capital Region means the geographic area located within the
boundaries of (A) the District of Columbia, (B) Montgomery and Prince Georges
Counties in the State of Maryland, (C) Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince
William Counties and the City of Alexandria in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and
(D) all cities and other units of government within the geographic areas of such
District, Counties, and City.
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