May 30, 2008–WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congress has set aside June 1-7 as the first annual National CPR/AED Awareness Week to spotlight how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED. In the declaration, Congress is asking states and municipalities to make AEDs more publicly accessible.
During this week, CPR-AED training organizations across the country will conduct CPR/AED classes and demonstrations, host events, and provide educational information on the importance of CPR and AED training.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) claims the lives of more than 166,000 people in this country every year. Ninety-four percent of people who suffer SCA die before reaching a hospital. If ordinary people act immediately with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use an automated external defibrillator (AED), instead of just waiting for help to arrive, many thousands of lives can be saved every year.
It can take emergency personnel precious minutes to arrive on the
scene. For every minute without defibrillation, a victim’s chance of surviving drops. It is critical for as many people as possible to be trained to perform CPR and know how to use an AED until advanced help arrives.
To get training, contact one of the organizations listed below, or your local hospital or fire department.
CPR-AED Training Resources
American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org
American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
American Safety and Health Institute: www.ashinstitute.org
CPR Anytime: www.cpranytime.org
Emergency Care and Safety Institute: www.ecsinstitute.org
National Safety Council: www.nsc.org
Medic First Aid International: www.medicfirstaid.com