Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, at any time. Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac events occur outside a hospital setting. According to the American Heart Association, fewer than 10 percent of those victims will survive. Immediate Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) can more than double the chance of survival. In many cases of cardiac arrest, implementing these interventions is the ONLY way to get a victim’s heart rate back to normal. And with every passing minute without CPR and AED, the chances of survival decrease by seven to 10 percent.
So how do you improve the chances of survival in your community?
- Take a CPR class that includes AED instruction. TSS has multiple instructors who train folks in our offices or yours. Our courses ensure that every person knows what to do in an emergency, specifically how to use the AED.
- Know where the AED is located in your workplace and the community areas that you visit. Look around – KNOW where to go when you need the AED. Gyms, schools, senior centers and other community gathering places usually have an AED available. Police cruisers often have them in the car. Of course, you should be calling 911 at the onset of a cardiac arrest event, so be sure to tell them you need an AED.
- Advocate for funding of the Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This competitive bid award program allows states to apply for funding to buy AEDs for public areas. In 2002, 6,400 AEDs were purchased and more than 38,000 people were trained in their use. Due to a decline in funding, 2012 showed only EIGHT applications were funded. Want to save a life? Tell your Congressman/woman how important this is to your community.
February is Heart Health Month. At TSS, we take that seriously! Each February, we put our AEDs on sale for the entire month. We also put our CPR classes on sale, check online. Updated prices will be posted on our online course schedule and in our online store on February 1. Also, watch for the discounted prices to come out in the February newsletter. Want to get that information as soon as it becomes available? Have questions? Contact our Safety Coordinator, David Martin, at david@tss-safety.com, 907.228.6169 or toll-free at 877.225.1431.