For immediate release: March, 7, 2010
Listowel, Ontario - The Heart and Stroke Foundation, in partnership with the Perth County EMS, is making it simple for the citizens of Listowel to learn CPR. A free public training clinic for Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) will take place on Sunday, March 7m 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 05:00 p.m. at the Listowel Memorial Arena, located at 380 Maitland Avenue in Listowel.
CPR can be a vital link in saving the life of a loved one in cardiac arrest and anyone can learn it. Participants who register will receive a free Heart and Stroke Foundation CPR AnytimeTM Family & FriendsTM kit (valued at $40), and will receive a CPR participation card upon completing the training.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, about 40,000 Canadians experience sudden cardiac arrest each year, the majority of which occur either at home or in public places. In Ontario alone, approximately 7,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually.
For every minute that passes without help, a person's chance of surviving a cardiac arrest drops by seven to 10%. Learning CPR is easy and inexpensive and it could mean saving the life of a friend or family member. Defibrillation when used in conjunction with CPR in the first few minutes can dramatically improve cardiac arrest survival rates by more than 50%.
"The Heart and Stroke Foundation urges all Canadians to learn CPR. The more people trained, the greater the chance of keeping those that have suffered cardiac arrest alive until an ambulance arrives," says Christine Lyszczarz, Community Mission Specialist, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. "You don't need to be a doctor to save a life."
In addition to becoming familiar with CPR, participants will also learn how to use Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) that may also be a life-saver if used on someone in cardiac arrest.
"We hope as many people as possible can come out for this free CPR training clinic," says Chris Keyser, Public Access Defibrillator Coordinator, Perth County EMS. "Statistics indicate, and I know from my own experience on the job, that CPR and AEDs can make the difference between life and death. The more people in our community who have these life-saving skills, the more lives may be saved."
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada sets the Canadian Guidelines for CPR, defibrillation and other aspects of emergency cardiovascular care in Canada. This free CPR Training Clinic is sponsored by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario in partnership with the Perth County EMS. To register, please contact please contact Janny Elg at (519) 292-2054 or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Stratford office, at (519) 273-5212).
- 30 -
For more information, please contact:
Christine Lyszczarz, Community Mission Specialist
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario
Tel: (519) 520-4360
Email: clyszczarz@hsf.on.ca
CPR Training Poster (opens in a PDF)