The New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) is offering music venues free bystander response trainings, including hands-only CPR, life-threatening bleeding, and opioid overdose response.

“We are currently targeting the hospitality industry for opioid overdose response trainings in particular, as we are seeing an alarming uptick in opioid overdoses, and oftentimes, hospitality workers can be at the frontline of these potentially fatal events,” said Dana Wilkosz, community outreach and education coordinator for NOHD.

Businesses can receive any combination of trainings or individual classes. A training for all three takes about 2 hours, with overdose response taking about 20-30 minutes, and stop-the-bleed and hands-only CPR taking about 45 minutes each.

Opioid overdose response (20-30 minutes). After the training, participants will be able to:

• Describe what an opioid is, its various forms, and how opioid overdose can lead to death

• Identify an opioid overdose

• Describe the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone and identify its various forms

• Respond to, and reverse, an opioid overdose using intranasal naloxone

• Identify where to obtain naloxone, and other harm reduction resources in New Orleans

• Determine where NOHD-provided naloxone will be kept on premises should an opioid overdose occur

Hands-Only CPR (45 minutes). After the training, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the signs of cardiac arrest and how to respond

• Know how to administer hands-only CPR to both adults and small children

• Know how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for someone in cardiac arrest

Stop the Bleed (45 minutes). After the training, participants will be able to:

• Activate 911 and understand how to assess scene safety

• Learn how to respond in the event of an incident that causes life-threatening bleeding

• Know how and when to apply a tourniquet to an injury

• Determine where NOHD-provided tourniquets will be kept on premises

The NOHD will conduct trainings on-site to make it convenient for staff to attend. The cap for number of attendees is set at 20, but trainers can be flexible if there is particularly high interest/a larger staff. This may include offering multiple trainings if that is needed for the venue. NOHD offers these trainings anytime, with have late afternoon, evening and weekend availability. In the past, the training has often been tacked on to an existing staff meeting. At this time, NOHD is not able to offer funding to cover additional staffing or to compensate staff who attend a training outside of their regularly scheduled hours.

NOHD provides participants with free Narcan for individuals who attend an overdose response training and tourniquets following a stop-the-bleed training.

The Louisana state Good Samaritan law protects anyone who, in good faith, seeks medical assistance for someone experiencing a drug-related overdose, or who experiences a drug-related overdose and is in need of medical assistance.

To schedule a training, contact Dana Wilkosz at [email protected], (504) 658-2591.