Gulf Coast Press the Chest Community CPR Event May 17

The public is invited to learn the lifesaving skill of CPR at the Gulf Coast Press the Chest Community CPR Event on Sunday, May 17 from 1-3 p.m. at the Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. This free, community-wide CPR training event is open to all ages and aims to empower citizens with lifesaving skills that could make the difference in an emergency. 

Attendees will learn the latest recommendations and procedures from the American Heart Association, including hands-only CPR for adults, child CPR with breaths, and choking relief methods for both adults and children, as well as how to use automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. The Gulf Coast Press the Chest Community CPR Event will offer a fun, interactive environment led by local medical professionals and first responders.

The Gulf Coast Press the Chest Community CPR Event is a collaborative effort between the following organizations:

• Escambia County EMS
• Escambia County Public Safety
• Santa Rosa County Public Safety
• Lifeguard Ambulance Services
• District One EMS Council of Northwest Florida
• HCA Florida West Hospital
• Baptist Health Care
• Ascension Sacred Heart
• Santa Rosa Medical Center
• Avive AED

Register for the Gulf Coast Press the Chest Community CPR Event here. The first 500 registered attendees will receive a free American Heart Association CPR Training Kit.

The Importance of CPR

CPR is an emergency life-saving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival after cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association. CPR helps keep blood flowing in the body, extending the opportunity for a successful resuscitation once trained medical staff arrive.

CPR Stats from the American Heart Association:

• More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year in the United States.
• Less than half (46%) of bystanders will perform CPR.
• Every minute counts; survival rates without CPR decrease by 10% as each minute passes.
• More than one in three American adults (estimated 85.6 million), have more than one form of cardiovascular disease. On average, someone dies of CVD every 37 seconds in the U.S.

View and download additional Hands-on CPR information from the American Heart Association here.