MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Believe it or not even if you haven't been properly trained in the art of CPR you can still play an important role in saving a life. Hands only CPR has proven to be successful in saving lives when someone goes into cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest symptoms include, sudden collapse, no pulse, no breathing and loss of consciousness. These symptoms, however, may vary. People who are suffering from cardiac arrest might become dizzy, have chest pain, suffer from shortness of breath, general weakness, palpitations or vomiting. Typically, however, sudden cardiac arrest is in fact sudden.

If someone collapses, the first thing to do is to CALL 911. Get the trained professionals to the scene as soon as possible.

The second step is to see if the unconscious person is breathing or not. If they're not breathing, you can begin CPR by pushing hard and fast on the center of the persons chest.

The compression should be about 100 per minute. If you're unsure how fast that is, think of the song "Stayin' Alive."

Allow their chest to rise and fall completely between compression, and each compression should be about two inches in depth.