The Greenville City Fire Department (GCFD) will hold two “Sidewalk CPR” events in downtown Greenville tomorrow. One will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at ONE City Plaza, and the other will be held in Falls Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in conjunction with National Walk at Lunch Day activities. Hands-only CPR (CPR with just chest compressions) has been proven to be as effective as CPR with breaths in treating adult cardiac arrest victims, and can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival. The American Heart Association has recommended hands-only CPR for adults since 2008.
According to Will Broscious, GCFD’s community risk reduction coordinator, the purpose of the events is to raise awareness of the benefit of hands-only CPR, and to help increase bystander response rates in cardiac emergencies. Currently, only 46% of cardiac arrest victims get CPR from a bystander. “Our events are modeled after a successful program that was developed several years ago by the Los Angeles Fire Department,” said Broscious. “Since American Heart Association statistics show that most Americans (70%) feel helpless to act during a cardiac emergency, we want to empower our citizens to save lives by equipping them to act quickly in a crisis.” According to the American Heart Association, four out of five cardiac arrests happen at home, and 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die.
During the events, GCFD personnel will offer 10-minute lessons on how to perform hands-only CPR using CPR training manikins. “We hope that downtown visitors and employees will celebrate National Walk at Lunch Day by walking to one of our events,” said Broscious. “By giving up just a few minutes of your day, you can help prevent unnecessary deaths and possibly save the life of a co-worker, spouse, parent or friend.”
