Canada: A World Model for High School CPR and Defibrillator Training
February 1, 2012
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
(Marketwire – Feb. 1, 2012)
February is Heart Month and tens of thousands of youth across the country are being empowered with the skills and knowledge to save lives with CPR.
The Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation, a charitable foundation, is setting up CPR and defibrillator training in high schools across Canada. Over 1.8 million students have been trained by their teachers, making Canada a world leader in high school CPR.
Program Snapshot:
-1,600 high schools -300,000 students trained each year -4,500 teachers trained as CPR instructors to date -45,000 durable mannequins donated to date -1.8 million students trained to date
As a result of the training, students from across the country are stepping up in the face of emergencies. Many are saving lives. These are just a few of their stories:
-19 year old Samantha saved her friend’s life after he suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest.
-Tanner was working at a school coop placement when his boss went into cardiac arrest. Tanner was quick to react and save his life.
-Jenysse was at work when a stranger out for a motorcycle ride decided to stop at the gas station. He collapsed and she saved his life.
To learn more about the ACT Foundation and to read about the many student rescues from across Canada, visit www.actfoundation.ca. Please contact ACT for interviews with rescuers or survivors.
About the ACT Foundation
The ACT Foundation is the national charitable organization dedicated to establishing CPR as a mandatory program in every Canadian high school. The ACT Foundation raises funds to donate mannequins, defibrillator training units, defibrillators for schools, train teachers as instructors for their students, donate manuals and resources to schools, and guide schools in program set-up. ACT’s health partners who are committed to bringing the program to all high schools are AstraZeneca Canada, Pfizer Canada and Sanofi.