November 17, 2015 Voice Your Opinions! Letters to the editor make a difference. You can send a letter of up to 200 words (shorter letters are more likely to be accepted) to the Alaska Dispatch News by email (letters@alaskadispatch.com); or by fax or mail (call them at 257-4308). Send letters to the Anchorage Press via e-mail editor@anchoragepress.com or by mail to 540 E. Fifth Ave, Anchorage, 99501. Feel free to call us if you need factual information to help you write a letter. Contact the Governor. The Governor can be reached at 269-7450; or www.alaska.gov. Contact us. My office can be reached at: 716 W. 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501; by phone: 269-0106; visit my website at http://gara.akdemocrats.org; or email: Rep.Les.Gara@akleg.gov

Dear Neighbors:

As the Christmas and Holiday Season get closer, it seems this is a pretty good time for us to think about, well, how we can save a life. OK. Really, any time off year is a good time to think about that. But the Anchorage Fire Department has just put out a great video, which is linked here.

CPR has been made a lot easier, as in “anyone can do it” easier, and the Anchorage Fire Department wants you to know that. So do I. When I first learned CPR the view was we had to learn how to alternate mouth to mouth breathing while providing proper chest pulsing. The mouth to mouth part made remembering CPR much harder (how many breaths before each chest pulse?), and is no longer part of the regimen for this potentially life-saving procedure. That is, as the video says:

“Hands-only CPR is the only thing that is necessary and the only thing that is beneficial in the first five minutes of a cardiac arrest.”

The more timely we provide CPR, the better chance we have of saving a life. Thanks to the Fire Department for putting out the video.

The video link follows. I hope you are well, and, as always, call or email me if there’s anything I or my office can do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Pnyb-jdg8&sns=em

My Best,