Students at Coon Rapids High School got a lesson dating back to the disco era this week.
On Tuesday morning, about 600 freshmen learned compression-only CPR to the tune of the Bee Gees "Staying Alive." Members of the Coon Rapids police and fire departments along with Blaine officers were on hand to help train the students. Last week, students did the classroom portion which included A-E-D instruction. It's all part of the Coon Rapids Heart Safe initiative.
"Today is their actual physical part of it, the hands on part of it, the part where they put their hands on the dummies and actually do the compression," says Officer Bryan Platz of the Coon Rapids Police Department. "Each student is required to do a minute straight of compressions, which is a long time to do compressions and this will satisfy their state requirement for graduation."
It took an hour to get all of the students thru the training. Now every student at Coon Rapids High School is equipped with the life-saving skill. CPR has been a graduation requirement in Minnesota since 2012.