The first few minutes for a person in need of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is vital, but some people are hesitant to respond because of the pending threat of a lawsuit. But these potential life-savers have no need to worry. Under Arizona's Good Samaritan Law, first care providers are protected from being found liable for helping others. Phoenix firefighter David Fisher said people with proper training have an obligation to help those in need, as long as they feel like the situation is not beyond their limitations. "You can look at it any way you want. I'm a human being helping another human being," Fisher said, "No lawyer will go after that." Guy Guyton has been teaching CPR with the Phoenix Fire Department for 23 years. "The importance of CPR is to help sustain life until a higher level of care gets there," Guyton said. "If you keep the blood circulating through the body by doing compressions, you keep life to the brain, which is the main thing." Brain death starts to occur in the first four to six minutes without oxygen. After 10 minutes, the damage to the brain is irreversible, he said. "The fire department doesn't save people, it's the public," Guyton added. Signs that a person needs CPR is if he/she is not able to talk, cough, show normal life movements or show signs of circulation. When this happens, Guyton said to administer the five steps of CPR: 1. Shake and shout at the subject. 2. If there is no response, dial 911. 3. Open the airway by tilting the head and lifting the chin, and wait five to 10 seconds for a sign of breathing. 4. Breathe twice into the subject's mouth. Each breath should last one second. 5. Check for circulation. See if the heart is working, or for any other signs of life. Begin chest compressions, placing both hands at the mid-nipple line, and compress 30 times at a depth of 1-and-a-half to 2 inches. Continue to ventilate and compress for five cycles, and then reassess depending on the subject's condition. Community education director Tom McCracken said CPR is an important skill to learn because cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans, and the more people who know how to do it increase the chances that a person will live. The CPR classes are taught every Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Washington Adult Center, 2240 W. Citrus Way, Phoenix. Cost is $20. For more information, call (602) 262-6971. Emily Behrendt can be reached at (480) 898-7911 or ebehrendt@aztrib.com.

When Lynn Hockenberger took over Children of Hope Child Development Center three years ago, she also took the reins of a multi-year fundraising project to get the preschool up to fire code.

[Question] ||| "What really is bad breath?

Los Angeles   •   Dogs and cats can’t brush, spit, gargle or floss on their own. So owners who want to avoid bad pet breath will need to lend a hand.

Jamell Baca-Cazer, 38, opened the front door to her East Valley house, something she hasn't been able to do in months. She pushed her family's dog away from the door, tucked her long blond hair behind her ear and walked over to the couch to sit down. She seemed like a healthy, normal mother and grandmother. But underneath her shirt is a healing incision protecting a new pair of lungs that allowed her to celebrate Christmas with her family.

Jamell Baca-Cazer, 38, opened the front door to her East Valley house, something she hasn't been able to do in months. She pushed her family's dog away from the door, tucked her long blond hair behind her ear and walked over to the couch to sit down. She seemed like a healthy, normal mother and grandmother. But underneath her shirt is a healing incision protecting a new pair of lungs that allowed her to celebrate Christmas with her family.

Air quality in the Valley is the worst it's been in nearly five years at a time when the federal government is looking to toughen standards and crack down on states that fail to meet them.

Air quality in the Valley is the worst it's been in nearly five years at a time when the federal government is looking to toughen standards and crack down on states that fail to meet them.

After four years Eryn Schmisseur can do the routines with her eyes closed.

After four years Eryn Schmisseur can do the routines with her eyes closed.

Phoenix Public Library's annual family winter reading program, "CatchBookBreath@your Phoenix Public Library" kicks off Jan. 10 and runs through Mar. 12 at all library locations.

Pete Gitlin’s letter of Jan. 16 (“There is no evil agenda,” AFN) was a breath of fresh air. It was well-written, reasoned and most of all, factual.

Dear Editor:

Join colon hydrotherapist Dee Munsterman from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 13 for an afternoon of information, inspiration and laughter in the yoga studio at Wellspring Holistic Health, 430 W. Warner Road, Suite 104, in south Tempe.

Potted Potter — The Unauthorized Harry Experience — A Parody by Dan and Jeff: Take a fly-over of the seven Harry Potter books in this funny retelling of the popular fantasy series, featuring the main characters, a fire breathing dragon and a game of Quidditch.

A fire at Tempe's Kyrene Middle School caused the evacuation of about 1,300 students and 80 staff members on Thursday morning.