Good morning Nostr. I got to do CPR for the first time last night. I joined the local volunteer fire department in January and have gotten to go on a wide variety of calls.

Last night I was first on scene to a CPR assist call. I found an older woman desperately trying to revive her husband of 43 years. He was still warm so I took over and did my best for 20 minutes until the ambulance arrived and took over.

Here’s what I learned:

People are a lot more squishy than the CPR mannequin.

Get on your knees. The conservation of effort made by being in the proper position makes a significant difference.

If you are doing CPR correctly you WILL crack some ribs.

Even though it’s an emergency situation do not forget to take a second and do a tactical size up of the scene. Not only to check for threats in the background but to clear the immediate area of any potential hazards to your own safety.

I’m glad I have Nostr where I can share my experience and have a cathartic release. If I posted this on regular social media, I’m sure I ‘d get a talking to by my captain about some kind of medical privacy law violation.