A group of first responders on Wednesday trained more than 200 people in hands-only CPR at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas.
They also celebrated a major milestone for the joint county and academic program, with more than half a million San Diegans trained in hands-only CPR – or cardiopulmonary resuscitation – since the program launch last year.
The goal is to train 1 million San Diegans in CPR and there are two more opportunities to learn the life-saving skill in the coming week:
Saturday – El Camino Country Club, with the US Tennis Association, led by Oceanside Fire and Tri-City Hospital, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday – Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Branch Library, led by San Diego Project Heart Beat and San Diego Fire Rescue, 1-2 p.m.Revive & Survive San Diego, a public health initiative led by the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego and San Diego County Emergency Medical Services, has trained 522,364 San Diegans so far.
“This achievement reflects the promise of public health for uniting communities, saving lives, and building a culture of preparedness,” said Cheryl A.M. Anderson, dean of the Wertheim School dean and co-lead of Revive & Survive.
Since it began in January 2024, the initiative has hosted 13,749 training sessions at schools, businesses, shopping centers, movie theaters and parks in collaboration with more than 35 community partners.
The public health program is in direct response to low survival rates for those who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital. In 2021, just 8.2% of people who had a heart attack were revived and survived the event, according to a Revive & Survive statement.
Gideon Wiseman was one. Wiseman was 48 years old when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest while watching television with his wife and young son sitting next to him on the couch. His wife immediately called 911 and began CPR.
“My heart was stopped for over half an hour. But because of the CPR she gave me, and then the paramedics from Encinitas Fire Station 1, my brain stayed alive,” he said at the event Wednesday. “Without that, even if I had survived physically, I wouldn’t have had brain function.
“Learn how to do CPR – fast.”
First responders from AMR San Diego, Carlsbad Fire Department, San Dieguito EMS District, Encinitas Fire Department, San Diego County Fire, Solana Beach Marine Safety and UCSD demonstrated how quick and easy it is to learn hands-only CPR at Moonlight Beach.
Using hands-only CPR instead of the typical breaths with compressions has proven “just as effective,” a statement from the initiative read. The first step is to call 911 and seek help. Then, perform compressions hard and fast at 100 to 120 beats per minute on a bare chest.
These steps can make the difference between life and death. Every minute without CPR for someone undergoing cardiac arrest decreases their chances of survival by 7-10%.
Heart disease, at just shy of 700,000 annual deaths, is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Sudden cardiac arrest causes more than 350,000 deaths annually.
“If someone’s heart stops, brain death occurs in as little as four to six minutes without CPR,” said Dr. Kristi Koenig, the county EMS medical director and co-lead of Revive & Survive. “The first few minutes are critical – and there’s usually no doctor nearby.
“That’s why it’s so important for everyone possible to know CPR.”
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