Ottawa County, MI (WGHN) – HEARTSafe Tri-Cities will officially introduce its community cardiac preparedness program during a kickoff event Wednesday evening at the Spring Lake Community Center.
The event, scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at 15549 Cleveland St. in Spring Lake, will give residents an opportunity to learn about the initiative and its goal of improving survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest across the Tri-Cities area.
A brief program beginning at 5 p.m. will feature an overview of the HEARTSafe Tri-Cities program, a survivor’s story and hands-only CPR instruction for attendees.
HEARTSafe Tri-Cities is a community initiative serving Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg. The effort is supported by the American Heart Association, American Red Cross and Project ADAM.
The HEARTSafe Community initiative is a national preparedness program developed by the Citizen CPR Foundation. Communities that earn HEARTSafe designation must meet a series of standards focused on emergency cardiac response, training and public preparedness.
Requirements include expanding CPR training opportunities, increasing public access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), strengthening resuscitation protocols for first responders and hospitals, and improving public awareness of cardiac emergencies.
Organizers say the designation reflects a commitment to improving cardiac health and increasing access to life-saving skills and technology for residents and visitors alike.
According to program information, more than 350,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in the United States, including approximately 23,000 children. Immediate CPR can significantly improve a person’s chances of survival, and nearly 70% of cardiac arrests occur at home.
Community members are encouraged to attend the free event and learn skills that could help save a life.
Connect with them at heartsafetricities.org or on Facebook and Instagram, @HeartSafeTriCities.
Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
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