Subway stores in Maine will participate in a campaign starting on February 6 with a goal to place CPR in Schools Kits in several Maine high schools. The campaign, which will conclude in May, benefits the American Heart Association (AHA) in Maine and supports their goal to train all Maine high school students in Hands-Only CPR. Subway customers will be asked to contribute to the “Help Make CPR in Maine Schools Cool” initiative by making a donation at participating Subway stores.
“We are very excited to be a part of this statewide effort to help Maine’s high school students learn this lifesaving technique,” said Crystal Brown, Marketing Director, Subway Maine. “The kit contains everything needed to facilitate a CPR in Schools training class for 10 students at once. And the process can be easily repeated to train an entire class, a grade or even an entire school. One kit can train hundreds of students!”
“In recognition of the Maine Legislature’s 2015 passage of a law that requires all graduating high school seniors be offered training in Hand-Only CPR, the AHA in Maine wants to distribute as many CPR in Schools kits as possible during 2017 and 2018,” said Becky Smith, the AHA’s Government Relations Director. “We appreciate Subway’s support of these efforts.”
Passed in 2014, the bill LD 556 “An Act To Require Public Schools To Offer Instruction Related to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the Use of an Automated External Defibrillator” requires all Maine schools to offer CPR training to students at some point during their high school years, but does not currently include a graduation requirement.
“The AHA is committed to help make the implementation of Hands-Only CPR training in Maine high schools as easy as possible and to strive to make Hands-Only CPR instruction a graduation requirement in the future,” said Smith.
Here are some reasons why Maine’s young people should learn Hands-Only CPR:
• Maine’s high schools could train 12,000-13,000 students each year, creating a generation of lifesavers.
• Most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen at home and youth are often called upon to help.
• According to the AHA, 90 percent of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die.
• CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival.
• Survival rates drop as much as 10% for every minute that goes by without bystander CPR. In Maine’s rural communities, CPR is even more critical to a victim’s chances of survival.
• Only 41 percent of people who experience a cardiac arrest at home, work or in public get the immediate help.
• If called on to give CPR in an emergency, it will most likely be to save the life of a loved one: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.
About the CPR in Schools Kit
The CPR in Schools Training Kit empowers students to learn the core skills of CPR in under 30 minutes, and it teaches AED skills and choking relief. The easy-to-use kit is designed specifically for the needs of school educators. It’s portable, allowing for convenient movement from classroom to classroom and easy storage. It’s also reusable. The CPR in Schools Training Kit was developed by the
AHA and incorporates the very latest science. Any educator or student can facilitate the 30-minute session as students practice on a Mini Anne Plus manikin while watching and learning CPR skills on the DVD. This method is a research-proven way for students to learn and retain the lifesaving skills of CPR. Students can learn Hands-Only™ CPR or CPR with breaths. Students can take home a manikin and DVD from the kit to train family and friends too. For more information, visit: Heart.org/CPRInSchools