Sudden cardiac arrest has become one of the most lethal public health problems around the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted that cardiac arrests claim more lives than HIV, pneumonia, influenza, auto accidents, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, firearms, and housefires combined. Thus, our program aims to prepare individuals for these sudden events.

We often refer to the chain of survival when discussing cardiac arrest events. The chain of survival is comprised of three main types of response levels: community, EMS, and hospital response. We rely on community members to initiate the chain of survival by activating the emergency response by calling 911, by providing high-quality CPR, and by accessing a public use AED and delivering a shock, if prompted. Without comprehension and understanding from community members, this community response does not occur and will, ultimately, reflect on the poor outcome from the sufferer of the cardiac arrest.