Home»All Photos»EMS CPR Training at Tallahassee Fitness Festival - January 26, 2013

Leon County is hosting “Train to Save a Life: Learn CPR” – a community-wide CPR workshop – on Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Leon County Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St., from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. The workshop will be led by Leon County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in collaboration with the Tallahassee Fitness Festival, which will open at 9 a.m. and close at 3 p.m. Highly credentialed EMS personnel will be on hand for this workshop to teach new recommendations for the emergency-rescue procedure known as Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Procedures were updated by the American Heart Association in 2010 from the previous recommendation of A-B-C (Airway-Breathing-Compressions) method to C-A-B (Compressions-Airway-Breathing). Participants will also be taught the importance of high-quality CPR, correctly performing CPR, and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Each year, sudden cardiac arrest claims the lives of more than 300,000 people throughout the country. Leon County EMS data show that CPR is performed only 20 percent of the time by bystanders in the community prior to EMS arrival. Due to Leon County EMS’ Heart Ready initiative, cardiac arrest survival rates have improved dramatically in Leon County. In Leon County, 33.6 percent of patients regain spontaneous blood circulation, far higher than the national average of 7 percent. “We’re proud of these statistics,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “In addition to the high performance of our EMS System, we recognize that CPR training for our citizens is one of the most critical things that we do to ensure successful intervention in cardiac cases in our community. It is a key element to our success.” “Train to Save a Life” serves as a public service event for Leon County EMS – an award-winning, full-service emergency medical service transport provider in Leon County. Also, Leon County EMS hosts similar “Press the Chest” community trainings, which have drawn more than 300 participants at each event. The next “Press the Chest” community training is currently scheduled for June 2013. Leon County’s EMS has reached the highest standards for an ambulance service and ranks among the best performers in the industry. EMS is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS), which sets national standards. Chief Tom Quillin leads Leon County EMS and in 2011 was named the National EMS Executive of the Year by the National EMS Management Association. For more information regarding this workshop or Leon County’s annual “Press the Chest” community-wide event, contact Jon D. Brown, Director of Community and Media Relations, at (850) 606-5300 or [email protected]. For information regarding setting up free CPR, AED or first-aid training at a school or place of business, contact EMS Capt. Sally Davis at (850) 606-2100 or [email protected].