Led by organizations like the American Heart Association, and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, June 1 – 7, is CPR and AED awareness week in the United States.

Although this national awareness week is happening south of the border we decided that we’d provide resources to help prepare Canadians for an emergency or sudden cardiac arrest as well. This is incredibly important for Canadians to learn as the Government of Canada states that heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada.

So what can you do to help prepare for an emergency? Below are some resources that you can use to prepare yourself, no matter what emergency you find yourself in.

Resources

The Mikey Young at Heart App

The Mikey Young At Heart Program teaches students how to perform CPR or how to use an AED, which they can in turn use towards their school’s volunteer hours. The programs aim is to help students feel more confident to use an AED or administer CPR, should the need ever arise. Students will learn these life-saving skills in The Mikey Young at Heart app, which is free and available on both android and apple devices.

The Mikey Network creates awareness of this program while going to schools and talking with them about The Mikey Young at Heart app. Although we often go to schools to raise awareness about the app, anyone who is interested in learning more about obtaining life-saving skills can download it as well.

St. Johns Ambulance

The Mikey Network works closely with the St.John’s Ambulance as they’re a preferred educational resource for emergencies and first aid skills. They’re stationed all over Canada, and provide accreditations in various levels of first aid and CPR. They will also sometimes offer opportunities for small free training sessions to go over basic concepts of first aid. If you’re interested in obtaining a first aid certification, we encourage you to go to their site.

Municipal Governments and First Responders

Municipalities and their city’s paramedics are responding to the requests of citizens who want to learn more about how to respond to emergency situations. Many municipalities that we regularly work with have launched online initiatives and resources to educate citizens on what to do during an emergency situation.

Examples of communities that are spearheading these strategies include the municipality of Peel who have created some great resources on how to use an AED, as well as this scenario on what to do in case of a sudden cardiac arrest. Other municipalities offer courses that are taught by paramedics, including Toronto’s Paramedic Services.

Basics

If you’re looking to learn the basics, St. John’s Ambulance, has this resource.