Nearly 40,000 Orange County Public School students will participate in a county–wide CPR training Thursday in recognition of this week's World Heart Day.
In partnership with the American Heart Association, local fire crews will visit 25 school sites and tech centers to teach students “hands only” CPR. The training will include checking vitals, assessing ABC’s (airway, breathing, circulation) and performing chest compression.
Jimmy Clarity of the American Heart Association said that the training will not only benefit the schools, but the community as a whole.
“Allowing more folks to be trained on CPR really gives us the best opportunity to create the healthiest city possible and the healthiest community possible.”
Clarity added that the annual event has proven its worth from students who have already shared life-saving stories of their own and that their experiences will make for a more prepared tomorrow.
“Ultimately, we want to make Orlando the safest community in the country and by training more of our students in hands-only CPR we are creating a future generation of lifesavers."
According to the American Heart Association, a victim's chance of survival decreases by 10 percent every minute CPR is delayed. But if applied immediately, a person's chances of survival can double or triple.