Thousands of Southland residents will be trained Thursday on how to administer hands-only CPR, as the American Heart Association joins with fire departments and other agencies to sponsor Sidewalk CPR Day.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl Osby and Los Angeles Fire Department Medical Director Dr. Marc Eckstein are among the dignitaries who will take part in a ceremonial event at Toland Way Elementary School, where more than 70 fifth- and sixth-grade students will receive CPR training.
Organizers of the event say training in hands-only CPR takes about 10 minutes, and the practice can help keep someone alive until paramedics arrive. Hands-only CPR involves rapid chest compressions designed to keep blood flowing for the critical few minutes following the cardiac arrest.
Training sessions will be held throughout the day at more than 50 locations across Los Angeles County as part of the event.
According to the American Heart Association, about 70 percent of cardiac arrests occur at home, making it imperative that relatives and friends be trained in CPR to improve a person’s chance of survival. The association noted that only 3 percent of cardiac arrest victims in Los Angeles County survive.
Nationally, nearly 350,000 people suffer cardiac arrest annually away from a hospital, according to the AHA.
—City News Service