Flower Mound residents can get CPR certified without leaving town.

The Flower Mound Fire Department is partnering with the American Heart Association to offer monthly CPR and AED certification classes at Fire Station No. 1, located at 3911 S. Broadway Ave. The first class is Sept. 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration costs $50 per student.

The four-hour course uses the AHA's Heartsaver/AED card format, the standard certification for people outside the healthcare field. Coaches, teachers and parents of kids in youth sports are among those the department hopes to reach, according to the Flower Mound Bee, which first reported the program.

Why it matters

CPR can double or even triple a person's chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest, according to the fire department's announcement, posted Aug. 15. Most cardiac arrests happen at home or in public places, where a bystander is the only immediate help until paramedics arrive, the Bee reported.

The monthly schedule is the key change. Finding a local Saturday CPR class had previously meant driving to Grapevine or Lewisville or hiring a private instructor, the Bee reported. The new program puts the training inside the same fire station whose crews respond to cardiac calls in Flower Mound.

How to sign up

Registration is available through the town's events calendar at flowermound.gov. The class runs once a month, so residents who cannot make the Sept. 12 session can register for a later date.

The program is listed under the fire department's Community Outreach and Education page on the town website. The department also offers a Citizens Fire Academy and other public education programs through that page.

The fire department has not announced an instructor or class-size cap for the Sept. 12 session. Residents with questions can contact the department through the town website at flowermound.gov.