Building a Nation of Lifesavers in Tennessee

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’s Happening in Tennessee

Through our advocacy efforts, we have made meaningful progress in Tennessee. Together with Heart Powered advocates, we have successfully advanced policies that are saving lives:

• Telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR): Ensures that when someone dials 911 the person on the other end of the line is trained to recognize a cardiac arrest and coach the caller on how to perform CPR until advanced medical help arrives.
• CPR in schools: Requires schools to train students on hands-on CPR.
• Cardiac emergency response plans (CERPs): Requires schools and school athletics to have a plan in place to respond to cardiac emergencies in these settings.

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.