LIFE LESSONS
Two men organizing workshops for May 19, near site of van rampage
CPR instructors offer free workshop in hopes it can break through bystander effect,
In the moments after the Yonge St. van rampage, Torontonians stepped up. One offered a belt as a tourniquet, others started CPR compressions, ordinary people made heroes by a senseless act of violence.
But for Ashkon Pour-Heidary and Andrew Sekhavati, the images of that day are a reminder that not everyone has CPR training or knows how to help.
“It really made us think,” Pour-Heidary said. “You never know when these things are going to happen.”
The duo, who are co-owners of Coast2Coast First Aid & Aquatics, are holding a free CPR and first-aid workshop in Mel Lastman Square, near the site of the tragedy, on May 19.
They’re hoping it can help break through the bystander effect, one of the biggest obstacles in an emergency situation.
“There’s too many people watching an incident happening and people don’t take action,” Pour-Heidary said of the social phenomenon.
“You see a crowd and then you don’t know if you have to be the person to call 911 or not, or the other person has to call 911, and then at the end no one calls 911.”
They’ll offer stations with equipment such as CPR dum- mies, said Pour-Heidary, adding that they’ve seen “a surge” of interest in classes since the rampage. They hope to do it from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. but are still firming up the time.
While people who give first aid are protected by Good Samaritan laws, Pour-Heidary said they can often still be hesitant, especially if they don’t have any training, or haven’t done it in a long time. While a mass attack is rare, that training is always useful, Canada Red Cross firstaid representative Shannon Scully-Pratt said.
“A situation like the van attack brings emergency and first-aid training to top of mind and kind of reminds us of the importance,” she said.
While “everyone responds differently” to emergencies and accidents, “with training you build your confidence to be able to respond,” she said.
Every year, the Canadian Red Cross trains more than a million people in first aid, but that’s not enough for Scully-Pratt, who recommends it for everyone, from kids to grandparents.
One of Pour-Heidary and Sekhavati’s friends was injured in the attack, which killed 10 and wounded 16. He’s still recovering in hospital.
“I think this is going to be a great thing to raise awareness and also in memory of all the victims,” Sekhavati said. “To be honest, every time I talk about it I have goosebumps.”