Building a Nation of Lifesavers in South Dakota

June 1-7 is National CPR and Awareness Week. It is the perfect time to remind everyone about the importance of knowing how to save a life in a cardiac emergency.  We are urging everyone to learn Hands Only CPR.

Why it Matters

More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur every year in the United States and 90% will be fatal. Immediate CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) use can double or even triple someone’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest. But sadly, less than half of all people who need this lifesaving intervention receive CPR from bystanders before professional help arrives.

This CPR and AED Awareness Week, the American Heart Association is challenging everyone to join the Nation of Lifesavers and commit to make CPR and AED awareness and education a permanent fixture in all communities across the country.

What is Happening in South Dakota

In South Dakota we’ve passed requirements for students to have access to CPR training in the health curriculum before graduation. We are advocating training in CPR to be a graduation requirement, for cardiac emergency response plans in schools and athletic events, and more comprehensive preparticipation physical evaluations for all youth.

Additionally, the South Dakota Cardiovascular Collaborative, established in 2017, has been working to improve the quality of life for all through the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and its associated risk factors. In last 3 years a concentrated focus, through the South Dakota Department of Health, the Collaborative focused on supporting more communities to become designated as a Cardiac Ready Community. Also, the program expended to focus on designating universities, colleges, technical schools through the newly launched Cardiac Ready Campus designation. In the last 3 years designated communities expanded to 10 communities and the first Cardiac Ready Campus has been designated. Ten more communities and 3 more campuses are actively working toward designation.

Thanks to efforts of advocates and elected leaders, South Dakota is better prepared to save a life in a cardiac emergency and has become a part of the Nation of Lifesavers.

Getting Involved

You can help! Learn more about our policy work and efforts to build a Nation of Lifesavers here.

Use your superpower.  Your personal experience brings issues to life for decision makers.  And that is powerful!  Help us build a Nation of Lifesavers by sharing your story.  Simply click here to tell us all about it.