Harnett County Emergency Services Department offers various training to enhance public safety and emergency preparedness. Harnett County EMS Training Captain, Kenneth Lorkiewicz, invites local Harnett County residents and businesses to join this initiative to become better prepared for emergencies.

Harnett County EMS is offering the following critical training to include:

• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/ Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• First on the Scene
• Narcan Training

EMS offers various CPR/AED training courses, such as heart saver, pediatric CPR, first aid, and basic life support. Depending on the class, individuals will learn how to properly conduct CPR compressions, use AED equipment correctly and safely, and how to assist someone if they are choking. Class times vary from two to four hours and the cost of these classes is $60.00 per person which also includes the costs for a certification card.

First on the Scene is a four-hour course that teaches individuals how to handle any type of emergency. The course educates participants on how to handle and control bleeding, perform CPR/AED, administer Narcan, properly move injured people, activate 911, and more. The cost for this class is $50.00 per person.

The third course that EMS is offering is a free one-hour Narcan training. Narcan is a drug that reverses opioid overdoses. The class covers opioid overdose signs and symptoms and how to administer Narcan with proper patient placement.  “Overdose is a life-threatening incident and needs to be acted upon quickly. A person may stop breathing due to the overdose and administering Narcan quickly can correctly increase their chances of survival,” said Lorkiewicz.

All classes are held at the Harnett County Emergency Management Services building at 1005 Edwards Brothers Drive, Lillington, NC 27546. However, other accommodations can be considered if needed.

“EMS does its best to respond promptly. However, you may witness an incident before EMS arrives, and acting quickly may save someone’s life and help you stay safe by knowing when and how to assist someone,” said Lorkiewicz.

Residents and businesses who have questions or are interested in participating in classes can contact Captain Lorkiewicz at 910-893-7563 or klorkiewicz@harnett.org.