Deployable IM employees get emergency training.

The Information Management Directorate at the Deployment Support Command can help with more emergencies than computer viruses.

Six members of the directorate have completed a course to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

"We have attended the training and all six of us are now certified instructors," said Sally Brennan, the directorate's information officer.

In the future, the directorate hopes to train all its deployable employees to be able to respond in a life-threatening emergency, and to offer the training to other directorates.

"We're working on setting up our first class here at the Deployment Support Command sometime this fall, with one of the information management-certified instructors," she said.

"We've been trying to get all our requirements met so we'll be certified to teach others."

The training will be useful for employees who situations at home, work, or most importantly, while deployed, she said.

"Every second counts when someone is suffering from a breathing or cardiac emergency," said Brennan.

"The sooner someone gets help, the better his chance of survival. This is especially true if an organization owns an automatic external defibrillator."

The Red Cross courses include: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for Professional Rescuers; First Aid/ CPR/Automatic External Defibrillator; and Instructor Training.

"I've been certified as an American Red Cross CPR/First Aid Instructor numerous times over the past 30-plus years," said computer specialist Ernest Lawhorn.

"I continuously take the training, because I might have to use it at any time or any place," said Lawhorn.

"I want to be able to help others who are in need if I can."

By Larry D. McCaskill
Deployment Support Command