Recognize National CPR and AED Awareness Week in June

The American Heart Association (AHA) in partnership with the American Red Cross and the National Safety Council worked together to federally designate a National CPR Awareness Week. In 2007, Congress unanimously passed a resolution to set aside June 1 – 7 every year as National CPR and AED Awareness Week to spotlight how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED.

During this week each year, CPR/AED classes and demonstrations are conducted, events are hosted and educational information is distributed on the importance of being trained in CPR and AED use.  In the declaration, Congress also asked states and municipalities to make AEDs more publicly accessible.

The newest campaign reinforces CPR/AED skills but also places importance on the willingness of bystanders to act in a cardiac arrest emergency. Did you know about 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes? If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love. Be the difference for your parent, spouse, or child. What if it were them?

The AHA invites everyone to celebrate National CPR and AED Awareness Week in your community or at your workplace. To get started, the AHA has created free materials that you can print out yourself.

There are many resources to choose from including:

• Posters and Cubicle Signs
• CPR Fact Sheet
• Event Flyers
• Email Templates

Many of the resources are also available in Spanish too!

Additionally, there are many social media resources provided that are already formatted for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can use these resources along with #CPRSavesLives or #CPRwithHeart to promote your campaign online. Don’t forget to share photos of your teams!

Offering CPR classes at your workplace that incorporate First Aid and AED training is ideal and recommended. In addition, it can be part of an overall written safety and health program that includes an employee safety orientation and weekly safety meetings.

However, if resources don’t allow the commitment to hours of training at one time, then please consider having all employees take just 5 minutes to learn the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only CPR. In just a few minutes, anyone can learn the two simple steps to Hands-Only CPR.

Why Learn Hands-Only CPR?

Cardiac arrest – an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs – is a leading cause of death. Each year, more than 350,000 EMS-assessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States.

• When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.
• According to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.

Be the Difference for Someone You Love

If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you love: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.

• Seventy percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes.
• About 46 percent of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives.
• Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public.

To learn more about Hands-Only CPR visit heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.

Here are some great ways any company or organization can participate in National CPR and AED Awareness Week:

• Schedule CPR/AED training at the workplace for employees.
• Ensure your workplace has AEDs, and if not, be an advocate to have them added.
• Post the CPR Week image as your Twitter or Facebook profile picture from June 1 to 7.
• Post a photo of your team learning CPR on social media using the tags #CPRSavesLives and #CPRwithHeart.
• Print the CPR Week Cubicle Sign and encourage everyone to post it in their cubicle or on their office door.
• Host a viewing party with healthy snacks and show Hands-Only CPR Videos.

For even more ideas, check out this great flyer: Hands Only CPR 5 Ways to Get Involved