The administration and staff at the Warren County Ambulance District are giving everyone a chance to learn how to save a life.During a cardiac arrest, the heart stops beating. Every second blood is not flowing, the more the heart is damaged, said Stephanie Wahoski, chief medical officer.When someone is able to administer chest compressions to someone whose heart is not beating, it can help keep blood moving, and that can double someone’s chances of living after a cardiac arrest.“Anybody and everybody should learn CPR,” said Wahoski. “The biggest thing is the ability to perform chest compressions.”The district offers group CPR classes and hosts monthly classes throughout the year.The district provides classes to schools, businesses, organizations, individuals, or, for the most part, anyone who asks.Topics for a two-year certification include adult, child and infant CPR, AED and basic first aid. Most of the monthly classes are held at 6 p.m. in the classroom at Warren County Ambulance District’s Base 1, 604 Fairgrounds Road.“It’s a three- to four-hour class and at the end, you are certified,” Wahoski said.The class originally planned for May 16 has been changed to 1 p.m. Monday, May 20, at Warren County Ambulance District Base 4, 99 Bell Road, Wright City.Future classes are June 20, July 18, Aug. 15, Sept. 26, Oct. 24, Nov. 21, all the third Thursdays of each month.Certification classes are $65 per person, which includes a textbook and certification card. Payments should be made the night of class by cash, check or money order.The district also offers a free and less comprehensive CPR class.“There’s Family and Friends (CPR Anytime) class, which is compression-based. This takes 15 minutes, and that’s it,” said Wahoski.Family and Friends CPR Anytime class is not a certification course. Still, it’s valuable knowledge. The training enables people to help someone whose heart has stopped, rather feel helpless waiting for help to arrive.“The value is it does teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It does not teach mouth to mouth, and it’s very short,” Wahoski said.The method, compression without mouth-to-mouth, was designed because national surveys showed that people were reluctant to perform mouth-to-mouth on strangers or get involved because of potential litigation.Wahoski said science shows that chest compressions alone are saving lives. She added that Good Samaritan laws protect most bystanders from being sued for trying to help others.For more information about CPR classes, call Wahoski at 636-456-8413 ext. 6 or email swahoski@warrencountyambulance.com.Warren County Ambulance District