Walking down the street, eating in a restaurant or riding public transport are all situations where a potential emergency situation could occur. Are you prepared to react and take action if something were to happen?

Lifeguarding is a common summer job for many highschool or college students. To have this job they must learn CPR, first aid, water rescue and emergency situation skills.

But oftentimes, once that summer is over they forget the skills they learned, or they were never forced to utilize those skills beyond putting a Band-Aid on a cut or throwing their tube to a distressed swimmer.

Our ability to react to emergency situations should not stop there.

What happens if the teenage lifeguard is not around when a stranger falls to the ground not breathing, a child falls o a peer into the water, or a fire breaks out in a restaurant?

In addition to public places where emergencies could happen, 85 percent of cardiac arrests occur within the home, according to Every Day Health. Getting CPR training could give the opportunity to help a stranger but also a member of your own family.

To prevent chaos that causes even greater injury and

danger everyone should be equipped with basic emergency lifesaving skills.

American Red Cross teaches that starting CPR early can double the chances of survival. Brain damage begins in just a minute of the victim going without oxygen flow.

If someone were to go into cardiac arrest and you had training to address the emergency, you could significantly increase his or her chances of survival.

There are many opportunities where individuals can get the training to react properly in an emergency.

City recreational activity or aquatic offices often offer CPR and first-aid training courses and CBU offers a class on first-aid and safety.

American Red Cross, the official distributor for certifications, has a search engine at redcross.org where classes nearby can be found. These can range from first-aid, water-saving skills, childcare or CPR and AED training.

There is a social obligation to know how to respond calmly in a crisis that is essential to maintaining a peaceful demeanor in the midst of recurring dangers and tragedies.

This includes understanding that if something goes wrong and you do not have the proper training to handle it, you must always make room for the professionals that do.

If we ensure the safety of those around us, we must be prepared for anything to happen at any moment.

Know what to do and how to respond if the person next to you suddenly stops breathing, because it could happen anytime.

Know basic crisis skills so that when danger does strike, you can aid those trying to control the damage rather than only increasing the risk.