Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in British Columbia, accounting for more than one fifth of all deaths in the province. Research shows that a cardiac arrest victim is four times more likely to survive if CPR is administered by a bystander while paramedics are en-route to the scene. Students in British Columbia are becoming well versed in this life saving skill, thanks to the High School CPR Program, an initiative aimed at establishing CPR training in every secondary school in BC by 2010.
Made possible through a unique partnership between BC Ambulance Service (BCAS), the Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation (a national charitable organization dedicated to school-based CPR) and CUPE Union 873 (the union representing paramedics in British Columbia) the program will leave a lasting legacy in BC schools, ensuring that Grade 9 and 10 students continue to benefit from this valuable training.
As of June 2008, approximately 400 teachers at over 100 secondary schools have been certified to teach CPR. BCAS paramedics have volunteered to instruct the majority of these teachers, who have passed along this training to over 20,000 high school students.
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