Salem Health salutes the heroic actions taken by Joseph I., a student at Straub Middle School. Joseph, a seventh-grader, recognized the signs of cardiac arrest and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

In 2016, Salem Health donated $30,000 to the Salem Fire Foundation to provide CPR/automated external defibrillator (AED) classes in area schools. The program is aimed at eighth graders, and 2,700 students were trained in 2016.

“The more kids we train, the more likely we are to save lives during a cardiac arrest,” said Mike Niblock, Salem fire chief.

The Salem Fire Foundation wants to see 3,500 students get trained each year, with hopes kids will pass that training onto their parents and families. Niblock says the ultimate goal is to have 75 percent of the area population trained in CPR/AED.

The public can also learn lifesaving skills through the Heartsaver First Aid and CPR class offered by the Salem Health Community Health Education Center. Infant CPR classes are also available. Find more information online or call 503-814-2432.