February is a great month to remember to take care of our heart health and the health of our loved ones as well as strengthen the whole community’s ability to respond to heart-related emergencies. Let’s work together to make this community heart safe.

Boulder Fire-Rescue is hosting its first monthly community Hands-Only CPR class starting on February 27, 2025. The goal of the community Hands-Only CPR training is to encourage and empower community members to take action when someone is in cardiac arrest. Interested community members should visit boulderfirerescue.eventbrite.com/ to sign up for a training. Classes are capped at 14 people at this time. Training dates are listed through June and are likely to fill up fast.

Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and other organs and is a leading cause of death. When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.

Trainings are open to community members 18 years of age and older who sign up. Trainings will take place from 4-6:30 p.m. at Boulder Fire-Rescue Station 3 (2967 Bluff Street, Boulder, CO). Improving cardiac arrest survival is a community effort. Bystanders who are trained and ready to act using hands-only CPR can save someone’s life, especially in partnership with first responder efforts.

“I’ve seen firsthand that community CPR saves lives,” said Boulder Fire-Rescue EMS Division Chief Jenna Steege. “In a cardiac emergency, every second matters. When bystanders step in and perform CPR before a paramedic arrives, they can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. The more people that are trained, the more lives we can save together.”

Boulder Fire-Rescue is excited to partner with American Medical Response, Boulder Community Health and Intermountain Health on this training opportunity, especially for the month of February, which is American Heart Health Awareness Month.

February is a great month to remember to take care of our heart health and the health of our loved ones as well as strengthen the whole community’s ability to respond to heart-related emergencies. Let’s work together to make this community heart safe.

Keep Reading