November is CPR Month

November is CPR Month

Did you know that each year, more than 50,000 Canadians die from coronary disease and that 70 per cent of cardiac arrests that occur at home? If someone you know and love went into cardiac arrest, would you know how to respond?

Celebrate CPR Month with the Red Cross
As the country's leading humanitarian organization, the Canadian Red Cross helps improve the lives of those in need. By offering a wide variety of hands-on First Aid and CPR courses throughout the county, the Red Cross can give you the skills it takes to save the life of someone experiencing cardiac arrest.

While this training is crucial all year-round, November is CPR Month, making it the perfect time to take part in one of the dynamic training courses the Canadian Red Cross provides.

Knowing when to act
If you were at home or in a public place and someone began choking, experienced pains, trouble breathing or became unconscious, would you feel confident knowing that you could act in time to potentially save that person's life?

When it comes to recognizing the signs of cardiac arrest, the majority of Canadians claim they would know the condition. However, fewer than half believe that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to respond to the emergency. Nearly 60 per cent of Canadians who have had to perform first aid did so to help a family member.

The benefits of CPR training
The skills you can gain from the Canadian Red Cross' CPR courses will give you the vital knowledge and confidence needed to act decisively when an emergency occurs.

When used with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), effective bystander CPR administered immediately after a person goes into cardiac arrest can more than double the chance of survival.

As the only national training agency that includes AED training in its courses, the Canadian Red Cross is the best place to receive CPR training. The interactive lessons offered by the Red Cross can give you the ability to recognize signs of breathing problems or issues with circulation, perform basic CPR and use an AED, which can restore normal beating by delivering a shock to the heart.

Getting started
According to estimates, if the number of Canadians who knew and could perform CPR doubled, a projected 1,000 lives could be saved throughout the country each year.

To get started on this exciting journey and leave a lasting impact on the life of someone in need, contact your local Red Cross office or visit online to learn more about classes offered in your area. You can also show your support for the Canadian Red Cross' lifesaving humanitarian work by donating today!