Lt. McCartney and UW student practicing CPRMay 21-27, 2017 is National EMS Week! To help us celebrate, take a moment to learn about what we do, share this blog with your friends, and submit a question of your own!

Every second counts during a cardiac arrest, and bystander compressions are a critical component in the chain of survival.


We encourage you to take a class to familiarize yourself with CPR and the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), even if you don’t wish to become “certified.”

There are several courses available in person or as a hybrid online/in-person program.

The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross both offer CPR classes.

Why is CPR important? By keeping blood pumping, you’re ensuring the flow of oxygen until EMTs and/or paramedics arrive to provide further medical care for the patient.

In 2016, bystanders intervened in 52% of the cardiac arrest calls that the Madison Fire Department responded to. That’s well above the national average of 40.7%!

Help us increase that number even more by downloading and activating PulsePoint, an innovative app that alerts you when someone in a public space is suffering a cardiac incident. You’ll be alerted only if the patient is within a quarter-mile of your location.

If you’ve had any level of CPR training, please download the PulsePoint app today and be sure to activate the CPR feature! Click for complete setup instructions.

Watch the video below to learn more about PulsePoint, and how you could save a life!

 



Do you have a question about what we do? Email it to us at fire@cityofmadison.com!

This content is free for use with credit to the City of Madison - Fire and a link back to the original post.