Red Cross starting “Project Prepare”

The American Red Cross is launching a program in Ohio to teach people life-saving techniques.

The program is called “Project Prepare”. Executive Director of the Muskingum Valley Red Cross, Marlene Henderson, said the program will teach people how to use compression CPR until emergency personnel can arrive on the scene. But that’s only one of the things the program will focus on.

“What we want to do is to make sure people are prepared to know what to do in case of an emergency, what to do in case of a power outage, how to prepare for that winter storm or the summer storm or whatever is coming up next,” Henderson said.

The Executive Director of the American Red Cross for East and South Central Ohio, Rod Cook, explains why it is so important to have this program.

“A lot of times it’s not just judgment, it’s just educating folks on what to do,” Cook said. “We have found that through the years, and recently Stadium A did a survey in which only about 50% of the people have even thought about any type of family preparedness plan.”

Cook said they want that number to be increased greatly. The program kicks off Thursday with a half hour compression only CPR classes at two area colleges. In Muskingum County, you can go to the Zane State and OUZ Campus Center between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.. Denison University will also host an event from 11:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.