As the American Heart Association launches the Nation of Heartsavers movement across the country, one important strategy is the adoption of Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERP) for companies and organizations in local markets. Your business can be prepared to act in an emergency with three simple steps: Share, Practice, and Activate.
The American Heart Association Cardiac Emergency Response Plan is a written document that establishes the specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting – be it a school, community organization, workplace, or sports facility. The Association has developed three Cardiac Emergency Response Plan checklists for general workplace and community organizations, schools, and sports facilities. Download the appropriate checklist, a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan draft, and information on an effective AED program here. These tools are set-up in a way that works best for your organization and establish the specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting.
Leading the effort, longtime American Heart Association supporter, Weisiger Group, with distinguished brands like Carolina Cat and LiftOne, recently implemented a CERP that includes protocol for internal Cardiac Emergency Response Personnel, placement and maintenance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), employee training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and AED use, integration of local first responders, and use of the Association’s tools and resources.
“As a trailblazing, family-owned organization, we are proud to be the first company in the Charlotte area to implement a robust CERP, in partnership with the American Heart Association,” said Stacy Gray, SVP and General Counsel of Weisiger Group. “Many sudden cardiac arrests happen outside of hospitals, including in locations such as corporate offices, construction sites, and warehouse/fulfillment centers.”
“Safety is the top priority in our business,” said Gray. “We are always looking to advance our safety culture, and implementing a CERP is a great initiative to help protect the health and well-being of our employees.”
According to the American Heart Association, seven in 10 people in America say they feel powerless to act in the face of a cardiac emergency. As a result, less than half of all people who need this life saving skill receive CPR from bystanders before professional help arrives. The Heart Association is challenging everyone to join the Nation of Lifesavers and commit to making CPR and AED awareness and education a permanent fixture in all communities across the country.
You can be ready, too! For more information on CERP opportunities through the American Heart Association, contact Shannon Emmanuel at Shannon.emmanuel@heart.org.
