Celebrating National CPR AED Awareness Week

Hi Friends!  It’s Siren!  We’re getting ready for a big week here.

The FDNY will be celebrating National CPR and AED Awareness week, which happens each year from June 1-7.  This week spotlights how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an Automated External Defibrillators or AED.

According to the American Heart Association, about 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die.  A person’s chance of survival is doubled or even tripled if CPR is performed in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest.   Each year during National CPR and AED Awareness week, CPR/AED classes and demonstrations are conducted, events are hosted and educational information is distributed on the importance of being trained in CPR and AED use.

The FDNY encourages the learning of critical life-saving skills such as compressions-only CPR.  The FDNY offers free CPR classes through our Be 911 CPR Program.   Check out this Public Service Announcement to learn more about what to do in the event of a cardiac emergency.

New Yorkers can get a hands-on orientation with a free class.     The class is a 30 minute class on compressions-only CPR.  The classes are taught throughout the year by certified FDNY EMS personnel at various locations.  The courses offer the following:

• Basic instruction on performing compressions-only CPR
• Basic instruction on how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED)
• Practice mannequins for use during class and take-home instruction for follow-up practice.

You can sign up for one of the free classes or even schedule a class for a group of people by clicking here.

Also, to celebrate this important week, the FDNY will be holding various CPR events in the following locations:

Queens
Date: June 2, 2016
Time: 11am-2pm
Location: Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd, Kew Gardens, NY 11415

Staten Island
Date: June 3, 2016
Time: 4-7pm
Location: Midland Beach Promenade/Boardwalk, Hunter Avenue and Father Capodanno Blvd (Next to the Turtle Fountain)

Manhattan
Date: June 7, 2016
Time: 11-1pm
Location: Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building, 63 West 125th Street, New York, NY

Bronx
Date: Monday June 6, 2016
Time: 3-6pm
Location: Melrose Avenue and E. 149th Street

Brooklyn
Date: Tuesday June 7, 2016
Time: 3-6pm
Location: EMS Station 35, 332 Metropolitan Ave 11211

Check back as there may be more added throughout the week!  So get out there and celebrate National CPR and AED Awareness week by learning how to save a life. .  Also don’t forget to go to fdnysmart.org to learn more life-saving tips.  Plus be sure to follow us on Twitter!  You can find Hot Dog and Siren here.