For Immediate Release: June 5, 2018
Contact: Jessica Good
Phone: (714) 834-2178

Email: jgood@ochca.com

Free “Hands Only” CPR Trainings Offered Countywide

(Santa Ana, CA) - Orange County residents are invited to take just 10 minutes out of their day this month and learn a skill that can save a life: Hands-Only Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

“When an adult has a sudden cardiac arrest, the chances of survival are doubled – sometimes tripled – if he or she immediately receives CPR,” said Dr. Samuel Stratton, Medical Director of Emergency Medical Services (OCEMS). “Unfortunately, less than 1/3 of those who suffer from a cardiac arrest at home, work or out in the community receive this type of vital assistance. Many bystanders are worried that they might do something wrong or make things worse by attempting to intervene because they haven’t been empowered by appropriate training.”

Participants can receive this training for free at several locations countywide thanks to a partnership between the Orange County Health Care Agency’s OCEMS team and the American Heart Association. Attendees will learn how and when to use Hands-Only CPR, which is different from conventional CPR because it focuses on chest compression without the need for mouth-to-mouth breathing. For a full list of locations, please visit www.healthdisasteroc.org/ems.

OCEMS is responsible for coordinating the County's emergency medical services system including Hospitals, Fire Departments, and Ambulance Companies. Staff works with both the private and public sectors to ensure basic and advanced life support coverage to our county's more than 3 million residents and visitors.

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