American Heart Association’s CPR Anytime program helps educate bystanders in CPR

People learning bystander CPR may be the answer to reducing death from the more than 326,000 cardiac arrests that occur outside of a hospital each year. Sadly, most of those victims die, often because bystanders don’t know how to start CPR, or are afraid they’ll do something wrong.

The bystander is the person who witnesses an event or finds a victim unresponsive, not breathing and appears lifeless. If a bystander calls 911 and performs CPR in the first few minutes of an event, the persons chance of survival increases.

The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department believes people are the answer to saving more lives. That’s why the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department is helping communities in the Northern Panhandle to save lives with its CPR Anytime Program and Infant CPR Anytime Program.

Each kit includes an American Heart Association CPR Anytime kit, which contains a mini CPR manikin, DVD and educational materials. Participants are encouraged to take these personal CPR kits home to train family and friends. This is not a certification kit. To obtain your free CPR Anytime Kit (adult or infant) or for more information contact the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department at (304) 234-3682.