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Eleven-year-old Alissa Greene wrung her hands together and let out a deep breath. For 30 seconds she'd been trying to pump life into a child-size mannequin. Already tired, Greene had a minute and 30 seconds left to obtain CPR certification.
"It's hard work saving lives," volunteer instructor Teresea Robison shouted over the teenagers who were busily counting their chest compressions.
"You've got to give me all that you've got." Greene and 17 other kids between the ages of 11 and 16 attended Babysitting Boot Camp Tuesday.
The three-hour event, sponsored by the American Red Cross, is designed to teach baby sitters how to react to emergency situations.
"It's harder than you would've thought," Robison said as Greene and the other kids continued to huff and puff.
"But you will heal from these bumps and bruises. They might not have a second chance at life."
CPR was only one of the skills taught during the three-day emergency skills course for teenagers, which began Monday at the Red Cross' Salt Lake Chapter location at 555 E. 300 South.
Other skills included shock treatment, choking procedures, and how to stop bleeding or splint a broken limb. Participants not only learn what to do in an emergency, but how to prevent them from happening.
Picking up small objects on the floor, for example, or keeping cords and chemicals out of reach can help avert disasters. Shane and Jamie Eisert's
mother signed them up for the course while they
were out of school for winter break.
Shane Eisert, 13, said the clinic was actually a lot of fun. "When we're done, we'll be certified baby sitters and we can make more money," he said. His sister has actually had to call 911 while baby-sitting some neighbor kids, when one fell down the stairs and was unconscious.
"If you get stuck in a situation, you know you can do it," she said. "Without this class, we wouldn't know what to do." This was the second round of kids to complete the course, which also includes pet first aid, and baby sitter networking and resume-building skill sets.
"They seem more confident and have a sense of pride when they know these lifesaving skills," said Kara Taggart, youth specialist for the American Red Cross. "It's an added confidence for the parents as well, to know that their kids are being watched by someone who is certified."
The Red Cross offers the $150 three-day event whenever there is a multiple-day break from school, with the next one scheduled for spring break.
Taggart said the organization also offers custom classes to groups of six or more. Participants leave with an official baby sitter kit, including helpful hints, bandages, breathing guards and gloves, and a place to put important phone numbers.
From sunburn and losing a tooth, to hyperthermia, lacerations and heart problems, Taggart said families and pets will be safe when they are watched by certified baby sitters. For more information on a two-day baby sitter's training course, which is offered at various locations in the Salt Lake Valley, visit www.utahredcross.org.
Students come away armed with information but also receive official certifications, similar to the cards knowledgeable adults carry. "It's a lot of information, it's quite an overload," she said. "But they eat it up, and it's something they'll have with them forever."
Robison said she would ask a hired baby sitter for his or her certifications and would be willing to pay more if he or she had them. "It just means my own kids and my own family is in a safer environment," she said. "But it's also about building a better community with more people who can and will help out."
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