RINCON — Nurse Laura Hunnewell, RN, BSN, nursing coordinator for the Effingham County Board of Education, and Tammy Graham, nurse at Marlow Elementary School, provided training for members of the Effingham Cadet Squadron of Civil Air Patrol (CAP) at their most recent meeting.

Training included cardiopulmonary pesuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillator (AED) and other first-aid techniques to help them prepare for the unthinkable.

Members and visitors spent time with both adult (Bob) and infant (Bobbie) “dummies” to practice techniques, including hands-only CPR, proper placement and use of the AED pads on both adults and infants. They also learned how to help a choking victim and how to stop severe bleeding by packing a wound and using a tourniquet. As emergency service is one of CAP’s three missions, members are required to be first aid certified as part of their training.

Squadron leadership reached out to Hunnewell to see if there might be an opportunity for the training to be offered to its cadets. After some time, she determined that through Project S.A.V.E., all members of the squadron could receive the training and become first aid certified, meeting their training requirements.

The squadron new members, both cadets and adults, and the training was very helpful in meeting the mission of the organization.

Deputy Commander Major Mark Knight said, “The excitement in the cadets during the training was great to see …We expect to see great things happening from all of our cadets!”

Capt. Jeff Lariscy, who worked with Hunnewell to get the training scheduled, added, “We are grateful for the overwhelming support we receive from Effingham County School District. Superintendent Dr. Ford and principals at the schools have been very helpful in reaching out to students and COO Ron Womack has been extremely helpful in facilities related issues. We see CAP as an extension of the excellent educational opportunities provided by our schools.”

The Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with 60,000 members nationwide, operating a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs about 85 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 70 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. 

The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to 25,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet program. CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for over 72 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans.

Visit www.gocivilairpatrol.com or www.capvolunteernow.com for more information, or the Effingham Cadet Squadron Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at 501 Richland Avenue, Building 119.

Contact info: Jeff Lariscy , jeff.lariscy@gawg.cap.gov.