This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Feature Friday -- George Fargo

Meet a member of the L+M staff each 'Feature Friday.'

George Fargo officially taught his 1,000th CPR class at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital last week, but who’s counting.

After all, if you factor in the EMTs, school children, firefighters and neighbors that Fargo has also taught cardiopulmonary resuscitation over 45 years, you’d surely lose count anyhow.

“I’m kind of like an octopus – I’ve got a lot of tentacles out there,” Fargo says. “People from all over will say to me, ‘You know that stuff you taught us? Well, it works!’”

Find out what's happening in New Londonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

CPR, of course, is the act of pumping a person’s chest and breathing air into their lungs to keep oxygen circulating when someone becomes the victim of an untimely event, such as a heart attack or a near drowning.

“It can happen to anyone at any time,” George says, “and the more people we train, the more people who can save a life.”

Find out what's happening in New Londonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

George has helped save many a life in a long career in emergency services dating back to the 1960s. Fargo spent 34 years as an Electric Boat firefighter but also volunteered with area emergency crews, including Mystic Ambulance and the Poquonnock Bridge, Cohanzie and New London fire departments.

Fargo, now 81, shows no signs of slowing down.

“He’s a rock,” says Diane Haigh, L+M’s Training Center Coordinator. “I don’t think he’s ever missed a class.”

George encourages everyone to learn CPR, noting that the minutes between an untimely event and the arrival of emergency services can be critical.

“Every minute of delay, the chance of survival goes down,” he says.

“The greatest gift in the world is the gift of life,” George says. “As instructors, we train people so they can give that gift to others.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?