NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — While some students are spending their vacations at the beach, others are spending the time off learning how to save lives.
This summer, Niagara Falls High School hosted a community training camp teaching others how to conduct life-saving CPR. The advanced life support education, provided by Sports Medicine Concepts, was taught to high school trainers, coaches, first responders, athletic training students, and more from around Western New York.
The CPR training consisted of simulations where athletes wearing their full equipment have injuries to their cervical spine, truncal trauma, head trauma or cardiac arrest.
"With simulation, it's been reported that outcomes for our patients actually improve when they go through practices like this." said athletic trainer, Tony Surace.
Surace is a trainer at Niagara Falls High School. In his 27-year career, he has seen two people collapse. He credits the saving of their lives to the training received by their medical specialists.
"CPR training is every two years but this type of stuff, you just never know when it's going to happen. It's going to happen at some point, but they need to be prepared prior that those skills come out easily when it actually happens. You're not nervous. You're not sure what to do," said Surace.
Sports Medicine Concepts has provided trainings for all thirty-two NFL teams. The Niagara Falls School District has held the training in the past, but this year were further motivated to hold it given recent news incidents, such as that of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and eldest son of NBA player LeBron James, Bronny James.
"Whether you are an athletic trainer, or you are just a family member who maybe has the opportunity to do CPR on a family member one day, get trained. Be aware of the skills you can learn because you can save lives," Jurace added.