Will County Gazette

The Joliet Fire Department (JFD) is promoting National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week, from June 1-7. The initiative aims to highlight the importance of CPR and AED knowledge in saving lives.

A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating or beats ineffectively, preventing blood circulation to the brain and other vital organs. Annually, more than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest in the United States, with only an 11 percent survival rate. Survival chances decrease by 10 percent for every minute without immediate CPR, while 90 percent of patients who receive a shock from an AED within the first minute survive.

Fire Chief Jeff Carey noted that approximately 70 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur at home, making it likely that a loved one will be the person needing help. “We know the statistics which is why our department changed some of the methods we use to treat cardiac arrests in 2020 to increase survival rates,” explained Carey. “After making those changes, we doubled our cardiac arrest survival rate. While that is good news, we can do better if more people were trained in CPR and there were more AEDs in the community.”

To address this need, JFD initiated a community AED/CPR program aimed at training 7,500 people annually in hands-only CPR and AED usage. These classes are offered free of charge to residents, schools, and businesses in Joliet.

Performing CPR before emergency services arrive significantly increases a person's chance of survival. Immediate action should be taken if someone collapses without warning: call 911, start CPR, and use an AED if available.

For those interested in learning these lifesaving skills, contact the Joliet Fire Department Health Services Division at 815-724-3503 or email jfdems@joliet.gov to sign up for a free AED/CPR class.

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About the City of Joliet

The City of Joliet is located in Will and Kendall counties in Illinois, approximately 30 miles southwest of Chicago. It serves as the county seat of Will County and had a population of 150,362 according to the 2020 census. For more information about the city, visit https://www.joliet.gov.

Media Contact: Rosemaria DiBenedetto, Media Engagement and Communications Director. Cell: 847-269-5556 or email: rdibenedetto@joliet.gov.

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