You are a vital link in a chain in your community, workplace, and home. If a loved one or someone you know goes into cardiac arrest, you are their main chance of survival. Not an ambulance. Not a passerby. You and your hands.
The mission of the Irish Heart Foundation’s CPR training programme is to strengthen every link in the ‘Chain of Survival’ in every community. To turn everyone into a future lifesaver. The good news is that it is very easy for anyone to learn CPR and be ready to save a life.
The chain of survival consists of five vital links to saving a life. Each one can be the difference between life and death – and the first three links are up to you.
If a person goes into cardiac arrest and the chain of survival is not activated immediately, that person’s chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent for every minute that CPR and defibrillation are not being performed. If CPR is not started within 10 minutes, the chance of survival is near zero.
The first three links of the chain can be completed by anyone. Therefore, it is vital that bystanders are willing and able to take action quickly and help save a life. The current rate of survival from a cardiac arrest in Ireland, according to the latest Out Of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Report, is 6.2%. More than 70% of cardiac arrests happen in the home.
The Irish Heart Foundation is the only training provider in Ireland that offers certified courses across the full length of the chain of survival. More than 80,000 people every year are trained in CPR through our programmes.
Our range of courses are designed for everyone, from healthcare professionals to community groups and members of the public. The courses are certified to the standard of the American Heart Association’s international ECC Training Programme. We also have a range of courses recognised by the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) which is the statutory agency responsible for standards, education and training in the field of pre-hospital emergency care in Ireland.
Our guides on all you need to know about CPR.
