50 Years of CPR

50 Years of CPR Over the past fifty years, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, has become a household term. In fact, it's become a term commonly heard and a concept taught in schools, community centers, houses of worship and places of business daily around the country. For many people, it's hard to remember or imagine a time before CPR.
I think about what a huge advancement CPR has been and wonder what life-saving emergency procedures were like before it. Then I thought about other discoveries that also occurred over the past 50 years. CPR is in good company with the pacemaker, in-vitro fertilization, MRI's, GPS, DNA fingerprinting, jet liners, smoke detectors and cell phones. It's incredible to think about what life was life before any of these.

Just recently, the American Heart Association had released new guidelines. I am happy to include these guidelines as a regiment in my training. There are big advancements to the new procedures that make both learning and training simpler than before. There are also more ways to participate in classes, from kits, online CPR video instruction, phone applications and classes.

Since the documentary, I became so inspired by all of the heartfelt stories, that I made it a life priority to train 5000 people over the next year as my personal crusade. This I felt to be a most fitting way to honor both the survivors and rescuers.

Please join my cause by contacting Heart Savers and Educators, Inc., and ensure that your workplace has the proper CPR and First-Aid training.

Yes, it's true, in 50 years so much has changed. But we still know that the most important thing in our lives is a beating heart.
Rick Schmitt   503-538-2610   www.cprnorthwest.com