Fire Department teams up with DPSCD to train teachers in CPR and AED use as part of Detroit’s HEARTSafe Community initiative

Nearly 200 Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD) employees were trained by representatives of the Detroit Fire Department (DFD) in CPR and AED use in mass training initiative this week.

City of Detroit is the nation’s largest HEARTSafe Community, with more than 15 percent of residents trained in at least Hands-Only CPR.

To become HEARTSafe, a community must fulfill 13 criteria. Some of these requirements include training 15 percent of the community population every year, developing and implementing strategies to improve public awareness and bystander intervention, permanently placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that can be quickly and reliably accessed, and recognizing rescuers for their lifesaving efforts, among other critical requisites.

For a comprehensive list of criteria in order to become a HEARTSafe Community, click here.

Safety is a top priority for the DPSCD and recognizing that seconds count in the case of a cardiac arrest, they are taking the initiative to get their teachers trained to save lives. That is why a portion of this semester’s professional development day for teachers has been set aside for CPR and AED training.

DPSCD trainers were joined by trainers from DFD to maximize the number of people who can be taught this essential skill.

The Detroit Fire Department also leads the critical work of CPR training in the City of Detroit, in collaboration with community partners. Through these partnerships, more than 100,000 people have been trained in CPR in the past year in the city. This work is being done at city recreation centers, community events, and through training programs offered across the city. Detroiters can sign up for CPR training here: https://calendly.com/dfdacademy.