Longboat Key Fire Department and public tennis center team up to save lives

For every minute that passes during a cardiac emergency, the victim’s survival chance decreases by 10 percentage points.

So, if it takes four minutes for help to arrive, there is a 40% chance the victim is not going to make it, Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said.

Thankfully, the average response time of the Longboat fire department is five minutes. However, those five minutes are crucial, which is why the department has teamed up with the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center to continue bringing CPR classes to residents.

The Longboat Key Firefighter Association, in conjunction with the Fire Department, provides free classes to anyone who wants them. And so far, Dezzi said it has been successful. The class is a 45-minute “hands only” course instead of the four-hour long certification class. Through the class, participants learn hands-only CPR and how to use automatic external defibrillators.

Dezzi said the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation component of traditional CPR can be intimidating for some people, which is why this course focuses on heart compressions and properly using an AED, which still can save lives.

“Give the person you’re with a chance,” he said.

Just last week, a man collapsed at the Tangerine Bay Club and four residents performed CPR and used the on-site AED.

“We’re using that as an analogy for people to understand that there’s a gentleman who probably wouldn’t have made it without those people,” Dezzi said.

Last year, Paul Skversky was riding around with his cycling group when one of the members collapsed. The group called 911 and the man survived, but the image of the helmets, water bottles, bikes and EMT equipment strewn all over the ground stuck in Skversky’s mind. He told the group that they need to learn CPR.

In December, Skversky approached Longboat Key Public Tennis Center Director Kay Thayer and the two attended a CPR class at the fire station.

“I always had the utmost respect for people when, in an emergency, they run toward the emergency and not away, and that certainly is the fire department,” Skversky said.

Initially, the Tennis Center sent out an email to its members, who in turn brought spouses and friends to the class. The response has been overwhelming. The January classes filled up, as have the February classes.

“It’s been a really big success,” Thayer said. “Bigger than what I anticipated. I’m really happy this many people are interested and want to participate because anything could happen, anytime, especially here at the tennis center.”

The Tennis Center provides helpful resources on what to do in case of an emergency should someone collapse on a court. Each court has a sign by the phone listing the Tennis Center’s address and alerting them to call 911. But, these classes take that a step further.

“Every second, every minute counts, so if you can at least keep someone going until the fire department gets there, the ambulance, then you know, we could save a life,” Thayer said.

The next class is on March 23 at the North Fire Station, 5490 Gulf of Mexico Drive. The class will be offered at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Interested individuals can call the Tennis Center at 316-8367. Those interested having their group take the class, call Tina at the Fire Department at 316-1944.