Marion Fire Department hosts public CPR training, emphasizing preparation – KCRG

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The Marion Fire Department held its first CPR certification class Saturday with dozens of people signing up to receive the training.

According to the American Heart Association, 350 cardiac arrests happen outside of a hospital each year, something a guest speaker experienced firsthand.

“I never thought that would happen to me,” Mike Martin, of Marion, said.

Martin spoke about the importance of being CPR certified, saying it was what saved his life earlier this year. Martin was working out at Anytime Fitness in Marion when he went into cardiac arrest. Allison Graham, his personal trainer, wasted no time starting chest compressions.

“I’ve been given a second chance, so hopefully, I can learn from it as well as others,” Martin said.

It was Martin’s story, as well as an incident that happened at Linn-Mar, which those hosting the event said brought more people than they expected.

“That initial CPR is a very important part of somebody’s survival experience in cardiac arrest,” Battalion Chief Kale McBurney, with the Marion Fire Department, said.

McBurney said the more people that learn how to do CPR the better as he said the training they were working on was mostly used on loved ones, something he was all too familiar with.

“I had to do CPR on my mother,” McBurney said. “My training instincts kicked into gear, and once first responders arrived, I fell apart.”

Martin still has a long way to go in his recovery, but while he continued his therapy, he said he learned something about himself through the traumatic event.

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