October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Month

October is well known as breast cancer awareness month, but did you also know that it is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Month?

In Arizona, there are approximately 5,000 sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) each year, and we are working hard to make sure that everyone knows what to do if they see someone have an SCA. 

In 2015, we worked to pass Senate Bill 1137 which ensures that all Arizona High School students will be learning Hands-Only CPR at least once in high school, which by the graduating class of 2019 means that 65,000 students will be learning how to respond in a cardiac emergency every year.  Our fabulous volunteers through Heart Walk, Go Red and Heart Ball have been working very hard to make sure that the schools have the resources they need to implement the program, including the CPR in Schools kits and organizing trainings in the schools. Our partners, Arizona Cardiac Arrest Survivors have also been working hard to raise awareness of SCA and the need for CPR and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) out in the community. The residents of Arizona are safer as a result of the combined efforts of all of our volunteers, and from one advocate to another I thank you!    

While we worked hard to pass policy that will ensure that the next generation knows how to respond in a cardiac emergency, we still want to make sure everyone knows what to do. With that said, do you know how to respond in a sudden cardiac emergency? If not, please click here to learn Hands-Only CPR to be prepared to save a life! 

Moving forward, we will continue to work on policy that will prevent heart disease and stroke for all Arizonans. If you are interested in ways you can get involved, please email Josh Brown, Grassroots Advocacy Director, at [email protected].