RED CROSS OFFERS TRAINING : CLASS COVERS BASIC FIRST AID, CPR AND TREATMENT FOR CHOKING.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

Parents want to know how to save their children's lives. Administrators want to know how to help a co-worker in an emergency. And some people just want to have some basic knowledge of CPR in case someone needs help.

For all of them, the American Red Cross of Ventura County provides classes about once a week as one of its many public service offerings.

On Saturday, the Simi Valley office will host a daylong, nine-hour class that will include instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid and preventive care.

``We teach people, if there's an emergency, how to handle it,'' said volunteer instructor and Thousand Oaks resident Rick Gutierrez. ``Believe it or not, the class is interesting - you're learning how to save someone's life.''

The Red Cross offers a variety of classes. Some, like Saturday's, are meant to teach basic skills to interested people in the community.

Others are designed to give more specific training to professional rescuers who must have certification for their jobs, said Diana Grace, district manager for the Red Cross.

Gutierrez, who has a full-time job at Micom in Simi Valley, focuses on the basics: how to treat cuts, wounds and fractures; how to help someone who is choking or having a heart attack.

``People think there has to be more to it than what they're learning to save someone's life,'' Gutierrez said. ``Some have come up to me later and said, `My kid was choking and I used what I learned in the class. It works.' I say, `Yes! It does!' ''

Grace said people sign up for all sorts of reasons. Many are new parents who want to be ready in case their child begins choking or has difficulty breathing. Some are Boy Scout or Girl Scout leaders who want to make sure they can care for kids in their charge. Some people head the safety committee at work and need CPR certification.

``We also get the average person who is maybe worried about their mother who isn't in the best of health,'' Grace said. ``We get people from all over: Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi, Westlake Village, even Agoura.''

Professional rescuers, people who have a duty to treat people in an emergency, receive more detailed training. They learn how to do two-person CPR, in which one person pumps the chest while the other provides air to the victim, Grace said.

They also learn how to use a mask or air bag during CPR, a method used to prevent the transmission of sickness and disease, Grace said.

``They need that training because they do it much more frequently,'' Grace said. ``They have a greater chance of catching things such as hepatitis, one of the main ones they can get.''

With only 12 students to one instructor, the classes stay interesting, Grace said. Gutierrez said he uses jokes and personal stories to keep the class from feeling long, and students get a one-hour lunch and breaks.

The time spent is worth it, Gutierrez said.

``People worry that they wouldn't do CPR correctly or they'd cause more harm,'' Gutierrez said. ``Then they take the class and think they'll forget what they learned. But it comes back. It's amazing what people remember.''

Anyone can help someone in a crisis, Gutierrez said, and any aid can make a difference. For example, a person who has suffered a heart attack and has stopped breathing needs oxygen as soon as possible, he said.

``It's always better to try and do something. If you don't do anything, call 911 as soon as possible,'' Gutierrez said. ``Every second counts.''

Space in Saturday's Community First Aid and Safety class is still available. The cost is $48. To sign up for the class, other classes in the future or to get information, call the American Red Cross at [phone]. The local Red Cross office is at 1919 Williams St., Suite 200, Simi Valley.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Red Cross District Manager Diana Grace, left, demonstrates proper te`chnique for splinting a broken arm as part of a first aid class.

(2--color) Red Cross weekend first aid classes include training for treating broken fingers.

Andy Holzman/Daily News