Lynn homeless receive training in CPR

LYNN – Ten homeless men and women who depend on the city’s emergency shelter took a giant step toward safety Friday when they completed a CPR course.Ranging in age from 23 to 42, the students learned the American Heart Association skills necessary to save the life of a person in cardiac distress. As a result of their efforts, they were certified by the organization for two years.The free class was made possible by a grant from the Lynn Shelter Association and volunteers from the Lynn Fire Department.”This is the first time we’ve conducted a CPR class at the shelter,” said Fire Capt. Joseph Zukas, the city’s emergency medical services director. “We’ve run similar classes for employees of the library, the public works, the cemetery, at city hall and some of the schools.”Zukas said the students from the homeless shelter at 100 Willow St. were also instructed how to most efficiently call for help using the 911 emergency telephone system. “If you call on a cell phone, you’ll get connected to the 911 center in Framingham, and they’ll have to ask a lot of questions to get you connected to the right department in the right city. But if you use a land line, the call will go directly to the Lynn Police Department.”Trang Le, a case manager and supervisor of the shelter’s day program, said the 10 students who completed the CPR course represent 25 percent of the shelter population. Other students signed up for the course, but have since transitioned out of the shelter program, according to Le.Nearly all the students had no previous life-saving experience, with the exception of a man who years ago worked as a lifeguard, Zukas said.Anyone interested in taking the CPR course should contact Zukas or the Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services office at 781-593-7528.”Hundreds of people in our city are now trained to potentially save others in our community in the event of a medical emergency,” Zukas said.