DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — The Wiregrass Public Safety Center began their first Women’s Safety Initiative on Wednesday evening, which began with CPR and first aid training.

“So recognition of the need, making sure things are safe for them to approach a victim, identifying the need for emergency response and activating the EMS system,” Instructor and Dothan EMS Battalion Chief Sean Gibson said.

This training will span throughout the year and cover a variety of topics from CPR and general safety to rape defense and firearms safety.

“The more chest compression skills and AED skills we can put in people’s hands, the higher the likelihood of survivability once we arrive to a victim’s side,” Gibson said.

The women in the course will continue through the year together, not only learning the skills but also gaining confidence in situations they may not have had before.

“When they realize they can produce two inches of depth compression and they can maintain a rate of a hundred compressions per minute, to see that satisfaction in their eyes, that success is huge,” Gibson said.

Although the Women’s Initiative is full, the Wiregrass Safety Center still has safety classes throughout the year that others are able to join.