Heart Association urges families to create a summer safety plan: Learn CPR

Heart Association urges families to create a summer safety plan: Learn CPR
The American Heart Association, a global force for a world of healthier lives for all, is encouraging families to build a summer safety plan.

Spending time at the pool or beach are great ways to beat the heat. While these summer activities can be fun for the whole family, water safety and knowing a how to act in an emergency should be a top priority when spending time around water. This includes teaching the entire family CPR.

“Children as young as nine-years-old can learn CPR,” said Toledo Executive Director, Mindy Hartwick. “Learning CPR is about empowering people to act so that we can save lives if a tragedy strikes.”

CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Studies show performing immediate CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival. In most cases, performing Hands-Only CPR can be just as effective as conventional CPR. But for downing instances, the American Heart Association recommends using rescue breaths along with compressions.

Learning CPR is not just limited to adults. In fact, the American Heart Association is dedicated to training the next generation of lifesavers through its CPR in Schools program. Thanks to American Heart Association advocates and volunteers across the nation, 40 states and Washington, DC have passed state laws that will assure all students are trained in life-saving CPR before they graduate from high school. In addition to the current CPR in Schools efforts, the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge school-based initiatives will launch a campaign this fall to put even more lifesavers on the streets.

In addition to CPR, the American Heart Association provides other tips on how to stay safe around water such as wearing life jackets, securing the pool with a fence, and learning how to swim. For information on CPR courses near you, visit www.cpr.heart.org.