| What do Bass Pro Shops,The Bodysmith, City Utilities of Springfield, DermaHealth, Paul Mueller Company, Ricks Automotive, and Title Boxing Club have in common? These are places where if you were having a cardiac arrest, you would have better chances for survival.
These seven organizations were recognized by the Springfield City Council last night (June 23, 2014) for being the first businesses to complete the 50/50 Challenge and become "Springfield LifeSave Plus" organizations to help reduce the number of deaths by sudden cardiac arrest in the community. The new initiative was started last March 2014 by members of the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, CoxHealth, Mercy, Ozarks Technical Community College, Safety Council of the Ozarks, and the Springfield Fire Department.
Each year, over 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital. When this occurs, it can be deadly. However, when CPR and defibrillation by an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is administered immediately, cardiac arrest is reversible in most cases. Unfortunately, without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 10% each minute.
The goals of the Springfield LifeSave initiative are to train 45,000 people in compression-only CPR, double the number of AEDs in the community, and have 100 businesses and organizations commit to the 50/50 Challenge. Those who take the 50/50 challenge and commit to certifying 50% of the workforce or 50 employees, will be designated as a Springfield LifeSave organization. Those who purchase an AED in addition to getting their employees certified in CPR will be designated as a Springfield LifeSave Plus organization.
For registration information go here.
Cara Erwin contributed to this article
Go Back |
