Amid the peak holiday travel season, Chairwoman Michelle Steel and Supervisor Todd Spitzer were on-site at John Wayne Airport to unveil three Hands-Only CPR training kiosks from the American Heart Association on December 4, 2017. The kiosks are located in Terminal A at Gate 8, in Terminal B at Gate 12 and in Terminal C at Gate 16.
Each kiosk has a touch screen with a short video that provides an overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test. With the help of a built-in practice manikin, the kiosk gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, as well as proper hand placement – factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR.
Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital, and about 20 percent occur in public places such as airports. Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest when it occurs in public, and CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
Hands-Only CPR has two steps, performed in this order: when you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 911. Then, push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute until help arrives.
Airports represent an opportune setting to train the public in Hands-Only CPR at kiosks, according to a study recently published in Resuscitation. The first life-saving pilot kiosk was installed in 2013 at the Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW). Researchers evaluated data from the American Heart Association’s pilot kiosk at DFW during a 32-month period. The study showed there was noticeable interest by the public to learn Hands-Only CPR as nearly 23,500 visitors used the kiosk from July 2013 to February 2016.
The kiosks at John Wayne Airport were made possible thanks to generous grants from the Argyros Family Foundation, McCarthy Building Companies Inc., the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation and the CareMore Foundation.
For additional information about the American Heart Association, visit heart.org.
For additional information about John Wayne Airport, visit www.ocair.com. More information about the County of Orange can be found at www.ocgov.com.
JWA Direct 