Get Ready for CPR and AED Awareness Week!

June 1-7 is CPR & AED Awareness Week. What will you do to be prepared to save a life?

Every year, more than 350,000 Americans experience a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital setting. Unfortunately, only about 1 in 10 victims will survive this traumatic event.

When a bystander promptly starts CPR and uses a publicly available automated external defibrillator (AED), it can double or even triple the chance of surviving.

The American Heart Association encourages you to make CPR and AED Awareness a part of your summer safety plan.

• Learn Hands-Only CPR. Watch this 90-second video, then share it. Encourage your friends and family to learn hands-only CPR as well.
• Locate the Automated Defibrillators (AEDs) in the buildings you visit often. This will be valuable information should you ever need to use it.

You could be called on to save the life of someone you love. Be sure you are prepared to respond in an emergency.

ACCESS TO AEDS ACT

Another way you can help save a life.

This CPR & AED Awareness Week, we are asking Members of Congress to support the Access to AEDs Act, and we need your help. Send a message to your lawmakers today!

Each year in the United States, sudden cardiac arrest occurs in 7,000-23,000 youth under 18, and it is the leading cause of death for student athletes. That equates to between 19 and 63 a day! But only 20 states, plus the District of Columbia, require AEDs to be placed in schools. Even fewer states have programs to help schools purchase these life-saving devices.

The Access to AEDs Act is a bipartisan bill that establishes a program to award grants to public elementary and secondary schools to help them develop and implement a comprehensive program to promote students’ access to defibrillation in their schools. The grant funds can be used to support CPR and AED training of students, staff, and sports volunteers. It can also provide for the purchase of AEDs, related equipment and CPR training materials. Funds may also support the development of Cardiac Emergency Response Plans, which can help reduce death from cardiac arrest in school settings.

So, will you help us tell Congress to support the Access to AEDs Act this week?