The majority of heart attack victims die before help ever arrives, said Troy Fire Chief Thomas Outlaw.

The local fire department is taking steps to change that statistic.

Beginning this Saturday, Feb. 28, the Troy Fire Department will hold a program to teach CPR to all interested in Pike County.

The program will teach CPR, but it will not be a certification class.

“Most of the time, when we arrive to a heart attack, no one is doing CPR,” Outlaw said. “This will teach family members what to do in an emergency situation.”

Outlaw said if people know how to do CPR, the survival rate for single death heart attacks will increase survival chances.

“We’re teaching this in case someone’s family members have a single death heart attack, this will increase survival chances significantly,” Outlaw said. “It takes everyone working together when someone has a sudden death heart attack.”

The class will be held at the Troy Fire Station 2 on George Wallace, from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

This will be the first of the Family and Friends classes offered by the local fire department, but Outlaw said it will not be the last.

No date has been set, but the fire department has plans to offer First Aid for Children classes throughout the year.

“We’re going to work with the public to get them up to date on what to do before we get there,” Outlaw said.

Outlaw said also any local groups who wish to have these classes can request for the fire department to come teach them.