VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The American Heart Association, along with the support of the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, donated 135 hands-only CPR training kits to Virginia Beach and Newport News schools.
All 15 schools in the Virginia Beach Schools district each received three kits. Two kits were given to each campus in the Newport News School district, which has 45 schools. The kits give instructions to meet a state mandate that requires teachers to receive CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training.
Each kit contains instructions that equip teachers with the skills of hands-only CPR, AED awareness and choking relief. The kits include an instructional DVD and inflatable rubber torso, so teachers can practice hands-only CPR.
“The American Heart Association is proud to offer these important resources with high-quality instruction to help our teachers become trained and knowledgeable on how to respond if a student experiences an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest,” said Jennifer Stout, the executive director of the American Heart Association’s Hampton Roads office.
Cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. Every year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital in the U.S. Approximately 90 percent of cardiac arrest victims outside of the hospital die, but CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
“The kits will make it convenient for teachers to learn useful skills that may be the difference between life and death,” Stout said.
Hands-only CPR has two easy steps: when you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 911. Then, push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives.
To learn more about the hands-only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr or facebook.com/AHACPR.
