WHEREAS,
Cardiac arrest is an abrupt stoppage of the heart, generally due to an electrical abnormality, or as a result of various kinds of cardiomyopathy, in which the heart muscle is enlarged or abnormally thick; and
WHEREAS, According to Harvard Medical School, every year there are 350,000 people, including 7,000 children, who experience sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting, where death is imminent without proper intervention; and
WHEREAS, According to the American Heart Association, nearly 475,000 Americans die from a cardiac arrest each year, more than that of cancer, firearms, fires, traffic accidents, and AIDS combined; and
WHEREAS,
7 out of 10 Americans report feeling helpless to act during a cardiac emergency because they don’t know how to administer CPR or are afraid of hurting the victim; and
WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, more than 1,100 people died from sudden cardiac arrest, with fewer than 20 percent of people receiving bystander CPR, compared with the national average of 40.6 percent; and
WHEREAS, Chances of survival decrease seven to ten percent for every minute without bystander CPR; and
WHEREAS, Studies demonstrate that people who suffer from sudden cardiac arrest still have oxygen in their blood, which is only transported throughout the body by way of CPR chest compressions; and
WHEREAS, Correctly administered CPR can potentially triple the chances that a person has to live, after they have suffered from sudden cardiac arrest; and
WHEREAS, Thirty-six states across the Country mandate CPR training before a student graduates high school; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is only one of fourteen states to not require CPR to graduate high school, when
high school student engagement could help reduce deep disparities in regional rates of survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest through early initiation of bystander CPR; and
WHEREAS, Exposing high school students to this important skill can position them to be able to make an impact in another person’s life during a moment of crisis; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia has the opportunity to be a national leader in helping students become CPR certified before graduating high school; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Does hereby authorize the Committee on Education to hold hearings to determine the feasibility for implementing a program in the School District of Philadelphia which provides exposure to CPR training as a part of the high school curriculum, prior to a student’s graduation.
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