WHO WE ARE
Keep the Beat is a joint initiative of Mecklenburg EMS Agency (Medic), Mecklenburg County, Atrium Health, and Novant Health that aims to reduce out of hospital cardiac mortality by increasing bystander CPR in Mecklenburg County. The program offers free bystander CPR training, AED awareness and the PulsePoint app availability.
EMPOWERING EVERYDAY CITIZENS
PulsePoint alerts nearby bystanders about a nearby sudden cardiac arrest event. With the free PulsePoint Respond mobile app, it also lets you know the location of the closest AED.
Free bystander CPR training is available for all Mecklenburg County businesses and organizations.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE PULSEPOINT APP
WHY LEARN BYSTANDER CPR?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 350,000 deaths each year. SCA kills nearly 1,000 people a day or one person every two minutes. 90% of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. Effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after a SCA, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
In 2008, the American Heart Association revised its recommendations and encouraged lay bystanders to use compression-only CPR as an alternative to the combined rescue breathing and chest compressions 2 inches deep at a rate of 100 compressions per minute.
Pre-hospital cardiac arrest care in Mecklenburg County excels far above the national average, with 81% of patients regaining a pulse prior to hospital arrival.* This ranks among the top 1% in the nation and is all due to the excellent work of local EMS, first responders, and healthcare partners. However, we can do more by empowering the community to save a life through bystander CPR.
*Mecklenburg EMS Agency Annual Report FY2018
KEEP IN TOUCH
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!