The East Midlands will be a safer place to live as 4000 primary and secondary students are to be taught lifesaving skills by EMAS staff and volunteers as part of a Europe wide initiative.
European Restart a Heart Day aims to teach vital CPR skills to give the next generation the confidence to save a live. When someone is in cardiac arrest seconds count, performing compressions keeps oxygen flowing around the body and increases the chance of survival.
Mick Barnett-Connolly, Head of Community Response Team at EMAS said: “If someone suffers a cardiac arrest their chances of survival doubles if it happens in front of someone who starts CPR immediately. We are equipping these students with the skills they need to be a lifesaver in their community.”
Training is being delivered to over 40 schools on Tuesday 18 October across the East Midlands.
The event has been organised in conjunction with the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the British Heart Foundation who are donating a free training kit to every school that participates. It is predicted that 100,000 people across the UK will learn the skill as part of what should be a mass record-breaking CPR training day.