During American Heart Month, County Milwaukee County Releases Educational CPR Video

MILWAUKEE – Sudden cardiac arrest can occur anywhere and to anyone. Knowing how to identify someone experiencing cardiac arrest and administer CPR can save lives. That’s why Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Chief Health Policy Advisor Dr. Ben Weston, and local leaders unveiled a new video on Thursday to educate viewers on how to perform CPR.

“The unfortunate truth is that we will likely all witness someone experiencing cardiac arrest during our lifetime,” said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. “It takes all of us to achieve our vision to become the healthiest county in the state of Wisconsin. Knowing how to step up and save a life with CPR is one important way we can work toward that vision.”

This educational video follows the release of the Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) Cardiac Arrest Dashboard in October 2023. Data from the dashboard shows that the chances of survival for patients who receive CPR before an ambulance arrives drastically improves by three times. With this data in mind, Milwaukee County OEM and Milwaukee County Department of Human Resources collaborated to create a video resource for employees and residents.

“To achieve our vision of Milwaukee becoming the healthiest county in Wisconsin, we must promote trainings and professional development opportunities that support the health and wellbeing of those we serve,” said Margo Franklin, Milwaukee County Chief Human Resources Officer. “Milwaukee County is working to educate employees and the public on how to best respond during a medical emergency. By offering CPR awareness training, Milwaukee County is taking proactive measures to increase the level of preparedness in the event of a cardiac arrest. We strongly believe providing awareness on CPR can save lives and decrease the mortality rate within Milwaukee County.”

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States since 1950. While sudden cardiac arrest can occur in individuals without heart disease, it is often a contributing factor. This American Heart Month, Milwaukee County residents are encouraged to be proactive with their cardiovascular health. In addition to becoming comfortable with CPR, monitoring your blood pressure, maintaining a healthy diet and active lifestyle, and scheduling regular check ups with a healthcare provider can help sustain a healthy heart.

“The barriers to performing critical interventions such as CPR are not a mystery,” said Dr. Ben Weston, Milwaukee County Chief Health Policy Advisor. “Bystanders feel that they don’t have the knowledge or the skills to do it effectively, but this video will walk you through the steps and dispel the myths. Anyone can learn how to perform CPR, gain confidence in intervening, and ultimately save a life.”

The educational CPR video, produced by Mueller Communications, can be found on the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management. The one-minute short-form version of the video is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.