You’ve likely seen the disturbing numbers:
- Every year, more than 300,000 Americans suffer sudden cardiac arrest and 95 percent don’t survive.
- Each minute defibrillation is delayed reduces the likelihood of resuscitation by 10 percent.
- On average, emergency medical services take eight to 10 minutes to arrive.
To highlight the importance of these critical, life-saving skills and the need for public access to AEDs, the United States Congress designated the first week in June as National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Week.
“Establishing a National CPR and AED Awareness Week is an essential step towards ensuring communities across the country are able to properly respond if tragedy strikes,” said United States Senator Russell Feingold, a bill cosponsor. “The more we can do to educate our communities on how to conduct CPR and operate AEDs, the more lives we can save.”
Emergency First Response Instructors and Instructor Trainers can participate in National CPR and AED Awareness Week by showing community members that they are there to help by teaching these live-saving skills. And, by teaching these skills, you are helping further the mission of Emergency First Response – to place an Emergency First Response Instructor in every neighborhood and an Emergency Responder trained in CPR and AED use in every home and every business.
