Once again, East Pierce Fire and Rescue will offer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic First Aid classes.

To help accommodate residents who are not available on weekends, a weekday class has been added every other month.

All classes will be offered at the East Pierce Fire and Rescue headquarters station located at 18421 Old Sumner-Buckley Hwy. in Bonney Lake.

CPR classes will begin at 9 a.m. and run to noon while First Aid classes start at 1 p.m. and continue to 4 p.m. Registration is accepted for either class, or the combination of both classes.

Classes are free for citizens residing within the East Pierce Fire and Rescue jurisdiction. This includes Sumner, Bonney Lake, Lake Tapps, Wilkeson and South Prairie.

The cost for nonresidents is $30 for either class or $45 for both.

Classes are scheduled for Jan. 15, Jan. 16 and Jan. 30; Feb. 13 and Feb. 27; March 13, March 19 and March 27; April 17 and April 24; May 15, May 21 and May 22; June 12 and June 26; July 16, July 17 and July 31; Aug. 14 and Aug. 28; and Sept. 11, Sept. 17 and Sept. 25.

The CPR course covers infant, child and adult CPR, automated external defibrillator (AED) training and procedures for administering aid to choking victims. Students learn to recognize the warning signs of an heart attack and stroke in adults and breathing difficulties in children. Upon completion of the course, students receive a Heartsaver CPR card valid for two years from the date of issue.

The First Aid course teaches rescuers to treat ill or injured persons in the minutes until emergency medical services personnel arrive.

This course meets and exceeds standards set by the regulating agencies for first aid including the Department of Labor and Industries, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA).

The Basic First Aid card students receive upon the completion of the course is also valid for two years.

To register, call 253-863-1800 during regular business hours.

For more information about these and other classes, go to www.eastpiercefire.org.

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