Cardiac arrest survivor urges San Diegans: ‘Learn how to do CPR – fast’

First responders at Moonlight State Beach teach CPR to members of the masses as part Partners are halfway to the goal of teaching CPR to million San Diegans Photo courtesy of County News Center via YouTube A group of first responders on Wednesday trained more than people in hands-only CPR at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas They also celebrated a major milestone for the joint county and academic operation with more than half a million San Diegans trained in hands-only CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation since the venture launch last year The goal is to train million San Diegans in CPR and there are two more opportunities to learn the life-saving skill in the coming week Saturday El Camino Country Club with the US Tennis Association led by Oceanside Fire and Tri-City Hospital a m to p m Tuesday Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Branch Library led by San Diego Project Heart Beat and San Diego Fire Rescue - p m Revive Survive San Diego a populace soundness initiative led by the Herbert Wertheim School of Community Wellbeing and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego and San Diego County Urgency Diagnostic Services has trained San Diegans so far This achievement reflects the promise of citizens soundness for uniting communities saving lives and building a society of preparedness reported Cheryl A M Anderson dean of the Wertheim School dean and co-lead of Revive Survive Since it began in January the initiative has hosted training sessions at schools businesses shopping centers movie theaters and parks in collaboration with more than society partners The society physical condition scheme is in direct response to low survival rates for those who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital In just of people who had a heart attack were revived and survived the event according to a Revive Survive announcement Gideon Wiseman was one Wiseman was years old when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest while watching television with his wife and young son sitting next to him on the couch His wife right now called and began CPR My heart was stopped for over half an hour But because of the CPR she gave me and then the paramedics from Encinitas Fire Station my brain stayed alive he explained at the event Wednesday Without that even if I had survived physically I wouldn t have had brain function Learn how to do CPR fast First responders from AMR San Diego Carlsbad Fire Department San Dieguito EMS District Encinitas Fire Department San Diego County Fire Solana Beach Marine Safety and UCSD demonstrated how quick and easy it is to learn hands-only CPR at Moonlight Beach Using hands-only CPR instead of the typical breaths with compressions has proven just as effective a declaration from the initiative read The first step is to call and seek help Then perform compressions hard and fast at to beats per minute on a bare chest These initiatives can make the difference between life and death Every minute without CPR for someone undergoing cardiac arrest decreases their chances of survival by - Heart affection at just shy of annual deaths is the leading cause of death in the United States according to the U S Centers for Infection Control Sudden cardiac arrest causes more than deaths annually If someone s heart stops brain death occurs in as little as four to six minutes without CPR revealed Dr Kristi Koenig the county EMS therapeutic director and co-lead of Revive Survive The first sparse minutes are critical and there s usually no healthcare provider nearby That s why it s so vital for everyone achievable to know CPR