Baton Rouge General to fill urgent CPR training kit need for area schools
BATON ROUGE, La. - Dec. 11, 2023 - The American Heart Association, Capital Area, recently collaborated with Baton Rouge General Hospital to fill an urgent CPR training need. Through this new local sponsorship, they are providing seven CPR in Schools Training Kits™, which will serve more than 8,000 Greater Baton Rouge students each year. The kits have 10 mannequins each, and are sustainable and reusable, meaning the schools can continue to use them year after year, potentially adding more trained lifesavers to our community.
The local American Heart Association has worked with local sponsors like Baton Rouge General and others to make sure students have the resources they need to fulfill their CPR graduation requirement at no cost to schools. The schools receiving kits from this collaboration include:
- Capitol High – EBR Schools
- East Ascension High – Ascension Schools
- Denham Springs High – Livingston Parish Schools
- Madison Prep – charter school
- Scotlandville High School – EBR Schools
- Baton Rouge Magnet High – EBR Schools – Magnet Program
- Tara High – EBR Schools
The CPR in Schools Training Kits will empower students to learn the core skills of CPR in under 30 minutes, including AED skills and choking relief. Everything teachers need to properly educate students: an instructional video, facilitator’s guide, mannequins and a mannequin pump, knee pads, replacement parts and sanitizer is included.
“Many of the schools, public and private, throughout Greater Baton Rouge lack CPR kits for training. Thanks to the recognition of this need for our community, and the generosity of our local sponsors, tens of thousands of our students will now be able to save a life,” said Kerin Spears, executive director, American Heart Association, Capital Area.
The Association is committed to turning a nation of bystanders into lifesavers through its Nation of Lifesavers movement. The new multi-year initiative will ensure teens and adults can learn about CPR and AED use, share that knowledge with friends and family and engage employers, policymakers, philanthropists and others to create support for a nation of lifesavers. The long-term goal: to ensure that in the face of a cardiac emergency, anyone, anywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and become a vital link in the chain of survival.
Each year, more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States and fewer than half of these people receive the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives. But immediate CPR could double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
“Minutes really do matter when it comes to surviving a life-threatening event like cardiac arrest, and the good news is that hands only CPR is something anyone can learn,” said Trisha Guidry, chief operating officer at Baton Rouge General-Mid City. “Baton Rouge General is proud to help make these life-saving skills accessible to the youth in our community.”
In 2014, the American Heart Association helped to pass the Burke Cobb Act, which made it a requirement for all Louisiana high school seniors learn CPR before graduation. These kits provide schools with the tools they need to teach hands only CPR skills and gives students the confidence necessary to perform CPR or use an AED, ultimately making our communities safer and empowering youth to save lives.
To make a donation toward the CPR in Schools Training Kit program, please email AHABatonRouge@heart.org. For more information, visit heart.org/CPR.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on www.heart.org/louisiana or follow us locally on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
For More Information:
Mary Fein; Mary.Fein@heart.org
