Every year, during the month of February, the American Heart Association steps forward to lead activities during American Heart Month. The focus of the American Heart Association this year is on the value of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.
President Lyndon Johnson issued the first proclamation regarding American Heart Month sixty years ago, in 1964. But the American Heart Association is actually 100 years old this year. The organization is marking their 100 years of service by suggesting that our focus should be on CPR in order to give people the experience and training they need to respond to a cardiac emergency.
The American Heart Association conducted a survey [LINK] in the fall of 2023 regarding people’s familiarity with CPR. The survey showed the following:
“The survey, conducted in fall 2023, indicates that although 35% of respondents have the confidence to perform CPR when needed, an increase from 30% in 2021, only 39% of those surveyed are familiar with conventional CPR and only 23% with Hands-Only CPR. According to the American Heart Association, fewer than half of people suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate CPR they need before professional help arrives.”
The need for CPR training within a business such as AMS, with hundreds of employees, is evident, and AMS does provide CPR training. The American Heart Association, in its news article, suggests four ways to learn CPR with the fourth being training at the place of work. We definitely have that covered. In 2023, 35 AMS employees (east/west) were trained in first aid and CPR by a certified instructor. This year we are launching mental health first aid for the first time ever.
Employee safety and security has a very strong focus at AMS, and the CPR training has been done for some years. Thankfully there are persons in the warehouses and offices of AMS who can step in and save a life. In the case of a medical emergency, the AMS Safety and Security team is well trained to deal with it following established procedures. We care, and we show it by training in saving lives.
Ways of Learning CPR
“CPR – or cardiopulmonary resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. During American Heart Month, the Association is offering four ways to learn CPR and join the Nation of Lifesavers, as an individual, family, organization or community at heart.org/nation.”
The other ways of learning, suggested by the American Heart Association are as follows:
“Watch online. Learn the basics of Hands-Only CPR with this instructional video and share it on social media with #NationofLifesavers. Hands-Only CPR has just two simple steps, performed in this order: 1) Call 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse; and 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a familiar song that has 100 to 120 beats per minute.
“Learn at home. Learn basic lifesaving skills in about 20 minutes from the comfort and privacy of home with the CPR Anytime® kits. The Infant CPR Anytime program is for new parents, grandparents, babysitters, nannies and anyone who wants to learn lifesaving infant CPR and choking relief skills.
“Take a course. Get a group together and find a nearby class to learn the lifesaving skills of CPR, first aid, and AED. Encourage others by sharing on social media with #NationofLifesavers.
“Turn employees into lifesavers. Help make your workplace and community safer one step at a time by forming a Heart Walk team and committing to CPR training for your employees.”
Please go to the AHA website [LINK] for full information and links to their recommendations.
An Example for All
Many of us will remember the shock and horror felt when seeing Damar Hamlin collapse on the football field with cardiac arrest. It was awful to see, and millions of us saw it in the media. Thankfully Mr. Hamlin has fully recovered and has stepped in to be an ambassador. Here are the details:
“One of the people helping turn a nation of bystanders into a nation of lifesavers is Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor, Damar Hamlin. Since June 2023, Hamlin has served as the national ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers. Following his cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football on Jan. 2, 2023, millions of people worldwide have engaged with American Heart Association educational content about CPR.
“’You never know when it’s going to be your opportunity to step in and save a life. CPR and AEDs are why I’m here today,’ says Hamlin in a newly released video shared on the Association website. ‘The mission of the Nation of Lifesavers is simple…when someone needs CPR, people can be well equipped to save a life. Someone who can save a life, that’s a superpower if you ask me.’”
We encourage readers to seek out CPR training, so that you can be one of those lifesavers. If you are one of our valued employees and you would like to take part in our next CPR classes, please let your Safety and Security Team know of your interest, or email [email protected].
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