National CPR & AED Awareness Week

June 1st, 2012 marks the start of National CPR & AED Awareness Week, a time the nation set aside to highlight the importance of knowing how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

In honor of National CPR Week, Loudoun County Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Management and the American Heart Association calls on all Americans to learn how to give Hands-Only® CPR by watching a simple one-minute video at www.heart.org/cpr.

According to the American Heart Association, nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur annually, and 88 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home.  Statistically speaking, if called on to administer CPR in an emergency, the life you save is likely to be someone at home: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.  Effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, but only 32 percent of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander.

"If we can get citizens to start CPR and use an AED, the chance for survival may greatly increase!” stated Deputy Chief of EMS and Training Jose Salazar.  “If CPR and defibrillation are not applied within several minutes after sudden cardiac arrest, there is very little chance of survival.”

Cardiac arrest knows no boundaries and as such impacts individuals of all ages, gender, race and social status.  While no community is exempt from this problem, every community has the ability to do something about it. "By taking a CPR/AED class you are taking care of yourself, your family, and your friends. Get trained!" stated Chief Salazar.

For more information or to locate training opportunities in your area, visit www.heart.org/cpr.