A pilot project in Winnipeg is giving families some hands-on training that could save lives.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation Community of Heroes training event aims to give children and adults expert instruction in CPR and using Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs).
The foundation partnered with the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service to provide a day of training at The Forks on Sunday.
More than 1,100 cardiac arrest cases happened in Winnipeg last year, but only 28 per cent of those people got CPR before paramedics arrived, the foundation said in a news release.
“In a cardiac arrest, quick bystander intervention saves lives,” said Lisa Bagan, resuscitation program manager with the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Organizers hope the training will mean more people can help in an emergency situation, including using AEDs that increasingly can be found in public venues.
The first 200 people trained on Sunday received a free instructional DVD and practice mannequin.
