The majority of Native communities are small and in rural areas, where outside support is slow to come, and qualifying for FEMA aid may be more difficult. But when disaster strikes, there is no time to wait. Southwest Reservation Aid (SWRA), a program of Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA), helps organize curricula that teach proper planning, preparation and response strategies needed to improve communities in the event of a disaster. Recently, PWNA facilitated a training session for citizens of the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Cibecue, Arizona. 

Eager to be better prepared for emergencies in their community, 19 tribal members gathered to gain skills in CPR, first aid and AEDs (automated external defibrillators). Trainer Lauri is a retired law enforcement officer and a proud mother whose son works with White Mountain Apache Tribe’s EMS. Lauri started the session with a review of CPR best practices, covering things like the ratio of chest compressions to rescue breaths (30:2), the good Samaritan law and common situations that may call for CPR like cardiac arrest and drug overdoses. Native American adults have higher health disparities than their non-Hispanic White counterparts, with a 48% higher risk of heart disease. 

Following a CPR demonstration by Lauri’s peer instructors Jeff and Terry, they reviewed certain precautions like assessing the scene for safety and using gloves or other personal protective equipment. Participants put their new CPR skills to the test by practicing techniques for both adults and infants on everything from calling EMS to administering the AED. The instructors also covered a range of first aid situations from choking to treating different kinds of bleeding with bandages or tourniquets. 

Most attendees had first-hand experience in first-aid situations, from accidentally stepping on a nail to helping a nephew who had been shot. The emergency response time in Cibecue is roughly 10 to 15 minutes, with only two on-shift paramedics, and the closest hospital is 50 miles away in Whiteriver. Using this as an example, Lauri highlighted the importance of their training: “If you don’t do anything, that person is going to die.”  

Now with 19 more tribal members certified, PWNA continues to improve emergency response in Native communities one step at a time. “We’re all retired veterans, firefighters or law enforcement… This is what we retired to do,” Lauri laughed. “I just love the teaching part of it; seeing those lights go on in their heads – especially for the kids.” The proud smiles on their faces say it all. 

Donate to SWRA today to continue supporting vital emergency response training in remote Native communities like Cibecue.