American Red Cross Instructors Teaching Others to Save Lives

Volunteer Instructors Ready to Change the World

Pictured are Nick Gill, PHSS mentor and local volunteers
Mary Lane and Christina Chalmers

Imagine performing CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) on your neighbor, friend or family member, how it would make you feel, knowing you have made such a life-saving impression on their life. Helping a new mother save the life of her choking infant? Now imagine, if you were trained by one of the most respected non-profits in the world to teach others to save lives, imagine what kind of effect you would have, what an opportunity, to affect hundreds, thousands of lives. This is just the impact Darke County locals, Christina Chalmers and Mary Lane are going to have as they expand their volunteering careers to include being a PHSS (preparedness health & safety services) instructor.

American Red Cross Health and Safety instructors are an elite group of professionals who teach valuable lifesaving skills to an average of more than 9 million people each year in businesses, schools and communities. Committing themselves to long hours of training, continuing education and a variety of courses to learn to share with their communities, volunteer instructors are one of the most sought after specialties by Red Cross Chapters across the county. Chalmers and Lane, both long-term volunteers, plus being leadership volunteer on the Board of Directors, were willing to “step-up” when the teaching opportunity presented itself. Board Members are not required to work in direct lines of service, generally serving as advocates and in governance positions, but both woman felt drawn to the opportunity to teach. “Not everyone is instructor material”, stated Darke County Red Cross Chapter Executor, Lynne Gump, “it’s a special skill set, being able not only to commit to saving a strangers life, but to teach others to save lives as well, with these two ladies talents, interests and commitment, we’ll be able to hold more classes in Darke County, training more people to save lives.”

The Darke County Chapter is seeking additional volunteers to become instructors for Darke County and its surrounding counties. If you are interested in teaching CPR, First Aid, Babysitting, Wilderness or Aquatics please start your adventure at www.redcross.org/oh/greenville or contact the Darke County Chapter at 937-548-1002, or stop by at 130 Martz Street, Greenville, OH.