CPR training expands in ArkLaTex schools as states update requirements

CPR saves hundreds of thousands of lives each year, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), and groups are pushing for it to be taught more in schools and to make training more available to people outside of the medical profession.

Recent changes to CPR training policies in ArkLaTex states reflect this growing emphasis on lifesaving education.

Rachel Green, a Texas-based CPR instructor and owner of Green’s Hands of Hope, has trained people of all ages and backgrounds on CPR and using an AED in case they ever need to save a life.

“I know for a fact that it’s 100% important because it could happen anywhere. You could be at home. It could be a witnessed fall or it could be an unwitnessed fall. Someone could be choking. Anywhere from infancy to geriatric. It’s all... everyone should know it,” Green said.

State policy changes

The 2024-25 period brought changes to CPR training policies in some ArkLaTex states.

In Louisiana, this year’s state budget added funding for “cardiac emergency response plans.” The extra money allows all high school coaches to be trained in CPR and AED use every two years.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed a law this year allowing students in grades 7-12 to get AED training, not just CPR.

Many states require CPR training for students before they graduate from high school and across certain professions like coaches and childcare providers.

The need for training

The AHA says more than 350,000 people have heart attacks outside of the hospital every year. Using CPR and an AED can buy precious time for patients until medical staff arrive.

Green says it’s crucial for people to know CPR even if they never enter the medical field. The more people know the basics of CPR, the more lives can be saved.