HB Fire Introduces HEARTSafe HB Education Program

Would you know what to do if you were faced with someone having a medical emergency? Heart safety has never been more important than it is today and having the knowledge and equipment necessary to save a life can make all the difference in an emergency situation.

The City is happy to announce that our Huntington Beach Fire Department (HBFD) has initiated a new program called HEARTSafe HB. It’s an effort to educate the public on sudden cardiac arrest awareness and effective community response, hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), and Good Samaritan laws protecting their response.

“One question I receive from residents is how can they volunteer to be more involved within their community,” said Huntington Beach Mayor Barbara Delgleize. “My hope is that folks take part in HEARTSafe HB. I encourage all residents, community groups, service clubs, schools, places of worship, businesses, and employees working in the City of Huntington Beach to support and participate in the efforts and goals of the HEARTSafe HB Initiative.”

Huntington Beach Fire Chief Scott Haberle states that the mission of the Huntington Beach Fire Department is “to provide the highest quality fire, marine safety, and emergency medical services to protect our community,” he said. “This initiative directly supports our mission, as the HEARTSafe Community Program is dedicated to providing CPR training and AED equipment to those who need them.”

Within the next few months, HBFD will present training opportunities for community members to obtain hands-only CPR and AED training to augment the CPR training already occurring in the community. CPR and AED training can help you be prepared to prolong the time in which medical professionals can help a victim.

Hands-only CPR is the process of using chest compression to resuscitate someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest. CPR can be extremely useful around large bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, or pools. Drowning is a major cause of death in the United States and other countries even though many of these fatalities could have been prevented if those on the scene had proper CPR training and were prepared to take the action necessary. This knowledge is also vital when there will be a large number of people gathered on a regular basis. The occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest is increasing and can be fatal if the proper action is not taken.

AED training is also important in the occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest. Someone trained in proper AED use is able to use the machine to help correct a lethal heart rhythm through the use of a measured electrical impulse. Most AEDs will give full instructions to the user however the proper training can ensure that the success rate of the maneuver is as high as possible. When someone’s life is on the line it is best to be prepared for as many circumstances as possible.

Look for more information on Surf City Break on how you can get involved in various ways, like taking online training, seeking a HEARTSafe Campus designation (schools, business parks , churches, etc.), purchasing an AED, informing HBFD of your recent CPR training, requesting in-person training for large groups, and more. It’s never been a better time to be HEARTSafe HB!

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