170 Receive Hands-Only CPR Training at Staying Alive Southlake

In honor of National Heart Month and the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual Go Red for Women campaign, the City of Southlake, in partnership with AHA, Southlake Chamber of Commerce, Carroll ISD, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southlake and other community organizations, hosted the inaugural Staying Alive Southlake event February 15 at Southlake’s DPS North Station. Open to the public, more than 170 adults and youth received hands-only CPR training from Southlake DPS and employees of Texas Health Southlake. In addition, approximately $8000 was raised for AHA through corporate sponsorships and private contributions at the event.

“We had a great turnout for a first-time event and it was a successful partnership between the City, event sponsors and several other organizations  ̶  everyone pitched in and did their part,” commented Southlake Fire Chief Mike Starr. “Anytime we get kids involved in CPR training, the better chance we have of saving lives for the younger generation.”

As heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, the goal was to provide the Southlake community with a free, heart healthy and educational event to help raise awareness about heart disease, as well as preventive measures. Activities included health screenings; family exercise ideas; heart healthy recipes and samples from Central Market Southlake; and fun giveaways from health fair vendors.

According to Amanda Haggerty, director of marketing for AHA Tarrant County, nearly 400,000 cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States, and more than 7,200 DFW residents died from cardiovascular diseases in 2012. Hands-only CPR, which is performed to the rhythm of the disco classic “Stayin’ Alive” and has more than 100 beats per minute, can more than double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

“Texas Health Southlake was thrilled to be a part of Staying Alive Southlake and we look forward to training more people next year,” said Traci Bernard, RN, president of Texas Health Southlake, noting 37 hospital employees volunteered at the event. “Knowing how-to perform CPR is something everyone should learn and we would much rather help people prevent heart disease than see them go to an emergency room.”