June 6, 2012

2:09 PM

On June 7th between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm, Portland firefighters will be teaching hands-only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) for free to anyone who walks by Fire Station 1 (Old Town). Station 1 is located at 55 SW Ash Street, just off of Naito Parkway. This week is National CPR week. In conjunction with the American Heart Association, Portland firefighters are lending a hand to help teach hands only CPR which only takes 60 seconds to teach.

WHY LEARN HANDS-ONLY CPR?

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death. Nearly 400,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests

occur annually in the United States.

• When a teen or adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately getting CPR from someone nearby.
• Sadly, 89 percent of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die because they don't receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene.
• Most Americans (70 percent) feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they don't know how to administer CPR or they're afraid of hurting the victim.

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.

• 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests happen in private or residential settings.
• Unfortunately, only 41 percent of people who experience a cardiac arrest at home, work or in public get the immediate help that they need before emergency help arrives.
• Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for sudden cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public. It can double or even triple a victim's chance of survival.

For more information about Handsfree CPR click here and learn how you can help save a life.