Local business aims to inspire Albertans to get CPR certified​on February 7, 2025 at 9:29 pm

A local business hopes to boost survival chances after sudden cardiac arrests by offering free CPR training to Albertans.

When sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the heart stops beating. A person loses consciousness, while blood flow to the brain and other vital organs is cut off.

If the heart is not “restarted” in minutes, brain damage and death occur. Outside of hospital, fewer than one in 10 people survive.

That’s why First Aid Training Calgary and First Aid Training Edmonton train people to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which can double or triple the chance of survival for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

“The undisputable piece that we really need, is we need more and more people certified,” said Ben Marasco, founder and CEO of First Aid Training Calgary, which expanded to Edmonton last year.

Although he said they haven’t seen a dramatic increase or decrease in the number of CPR certifications over the years, 18 per cent of Canadians have been certified at some point.

“That number needs to be way higher to really be able to have a network around us of people that can help us in the event of sudden cardiac arrest,” said Marasco.

To mark Heart Month and Valentine’s Day in February, the company is offering $25,000 worth of free CPR training for the third consecutive year.

Marasco said the initiative aims to “inspire and encourage as many people as possible to get CPR certified.”

Previously, the free training filled up in minutes, he said. Registration for this year opens Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. on firstaidtrainingcalgary.com and firstaidtrainingedmonton.com.

For the rest of February, all courses will be available at a discounted rate using the promo code HEART25, after the free courses are full.

A typical course would cost about $80, which is for a three-year certification, Marasco said.

The purpose of CPR is to buy time for first responders to arrive, said Marasco.

“If we’re not able to buy time, the chances of survival, unfortunately, are abysmal,” he said. “I don’t know about you, but if I went into sudden cardiac arrest, I’d want two or three times the chances of survival.”

About 75 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home.

“Don’t do a CPR certificate because your workplace mandates it. Do it because you’re way more likely to need to give CPR on a loved one,” said Marasco.

In 2023, 56 per cent of the Calgary Fire Department’s responses involved critical medical interventions, including cardiac arrests, but also things such as strokes, overdoses, traumatic injuries and more.

“The sooner CPR can get started . . . the higher the chance of survival for that person,” said Carol Henke, CFD’s public information officer.

Henke added that the more people that know CPR or have first-aid training, the “more valuable it is for our entire community.

“The more equipped they are to start all the appropriate measures that can be life saving . . . that can really make the difference between someone surviving or not,” said Henke.

Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada, and affects about 2.4 million adults across the country.

swilhelm@postmedia.com