In just two weeks the Savannah Red Cross will be hosting a ‘Babysitter Boot Camp’ for youths ages 11-15 in Effingham County.  

“Basically it’s a pumped up babysitter class,” said Dan Kurtz, health and safety director. “We take our nationally recognized babysitter course and add infant/child CPR and first aid to it. We host the class over four mornings in one week. Our Effingham boot camp begins July 20.”  

The full camp costs $75, or parents can select specific classes a la carte. The complete breakdown of the course is on the Web site www.savannahredcross.org under babysitter training in the Health and Safety classes section.  

The nationally recognized Red Cross babysitter training course teaches youths 11-15 to be safe babysitters by teaching them how to spot potential problems, how to handle emergencies and the techniques of safe age appropriate play. Students learn the basics of calling 911, specifically when to call and what information they need to be prepared to give. The textbook comes with a CD-ROM full of game ideas, parent contact sheets and babysitter basics. The students do leave with Red Cross babysitter certification.

The Red Cross infant/child CPR course teaches responders how to check for signs of life, how to deliver rescue breaths and how to perform CPR on infants and children up to age 12.  

“Child CPR and infant CPR are a little bit different than adult CPR,” said Kurtz. “Infants and children more often have cardiac emergencies caused by something they’ve ingested, so we focus a lot more on making sure their airways are open so they can get air into their lungs. Their lungs are also smaller than adults, so we have to train people to give smaller, shorter breaths.”  

The students will receive infant/child CPR certification, valid for one year.  

The Red Cross first aid course teaches responders how to recognize an emergency situation and how to care for someone who has been injured until professional rescuers arrive.