The Irish Heart Foundation in association with Bank of Ireland has launched the CPR 4 schools training programme. This innovative programme is designed for post-primary schools and equips teachers with the skills to deliver CPR training to teach their students. 70% of cardiac arrests happen in the home and the chances of recovery decrease by 10% for every minute that proper care isn’t administered. The programme will be rolled out nationwide and by 2019, 72% of post-primary schools will have been trained.
The Irish Heart Foundation’s expert CPR 4 Schools team deliver training via education centres to teachers who are then provided with an online programme which can be taught effectively in the classroom. In addition, the Irish Heart Foundation provides schools with free kits worth €600 which consist of training manikins to encourage hands-on practice.
Speaking about the launch, Irish Heart Foundation’s Basic Life Support expert Brigid Sinnott said: “We are delighted to launch the CPR 4 Schools programme in association with Bank of Ireland. Schools are an ideal setting to reach all young people to help reduce the incidence of premature death and disability from heart disease and stroke which is Ireland’s number one killer. This programme teaches students to recognise cardiac arrest early, listen to the ambulance dispatcher, perform CPR and know how to use an AED. By starting CPR immediately in an incident of cardiac arrest, the victim’s chance of survival can be doubled. We are delighted to be rolling out the CPR 4 schools programme free of charge to train the next generation of lifesavers who will be able to respond to such emergencies”.
Adding to this, Audrey Nolan, Head of CSR at Bank of Ireland said “We are delighted to partner with the Irish Heart Foundation in assisting with the rollout of this training programme across schools throughout Ireland. It’s a fantastic way to help equip our young people with the knowledge base required to know that they can make a difference and help save lives in an emergency situation”.
The CPR 4 Schools programme consists of the following:
- A 2 hour workshop for teachers about how to run CPR 4 schools programme
- Lesson plans to guide teachers
- Lesson plans to train school staff
- Equipment packs for schools to enable hands-on and interactive practice with students
- Access to the Irish Heart Foundation’s dedicated online school training centre CPR certificates for each participating student and teachers CPD points
- Access to additional learning materials and other online resources
To register post-primary teachers are encouraged to visit www.irishheart.ie or email schools@irishheart.ie