The School of Continuing Education at Yukon College wants to bring attention to the fact that February is National Heart Month.

It's encouraging more Yukoners to be ready to save lives, by offering four free adult CPR classes.

Volunteer Heart and Stroke Foundation CPR instructors will lead the classes emphasizing the key message that every minute counts.

"The greatest harm in emergency situations is for those at the scene to do nothing,” said Rob Jones, the advanced care paramedic and co-ordinator for the foundation's programming at the college.

"Starting CPR on a patient in those critical minutes while waiting for an ambulance to arrive makes all the difference to their survival and the quality of their recovery.”

Jones said this is especially important in the Yukon, where many people live more than 10 minutes away from Whitehorse General Hospital or their community's volunteer EMS personnel.

The classes will enable Yukoners to recognize the signs of someone in distress perhaps even before the person involved realizes the problem, know the appropriate interventions, and make using CPR skills easy and repetitive.

Classes began Feb. 10, and one was held Monday. The others are set for tomorrow and Feb. 26.

All classes are from 6-9 p.m. at Ayamdigut campus.

Classes are free, but students must register by contacting the college admissions office at 668-8710.