(Washington, DC) Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser joined Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS) Chief Gregory Dean to announce official training totals of the FEMS Hands on Hearts CPR program since its launch last fall. The Hands On Hearts program provides free life-saving, hands-only CPR training to communities across the District. The initiative was launched by Mayor Bowser in October 2015 with the goal of training 5,000 people by September 2016. Working with Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, FEMS has more than doubled this number and continues to build on their record.
“Our first responders have always known the life-saving benefits of CPR, and residents always play a hand in creating a safer, stronger DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “With over 10,000 people across the District trained in this life-saving technique, we are at the ready to help our neighbors in the event of a life-threatening cardiac emergency. It is heartwarming to see so many Washingtonians step up to learn this life-saving technique, and we will keep pushing others to do the same.”
Last month alone, there were 20 cases in Washington, DC in which bystanders witnessed someone going into cardiac arrest. In 50 percent of these cases, a bystander began performing life-saving CPR while awaiting an ambulance. Six months earlier, under the same scenario, a mere 18 percent of bystanders who saw someone going into cardiac arrest were prepared to respond.
According to the American Heart Association, “CPR done within five minutes of a person’s collapse combined with professional care can increase survival rates by as much as 50 percent.”
Sign on to become a lifesaver at handsonhearts.dc.gov