PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

More than 500 Aviation Employees CPR Ready
By Pamela Wilson

The Atlanta Airport has a reputation for saving lives. According to recent statistics released by the American Heart Association individuals who suffered a cardiac arrest at Hartsfield-Jackson over a three-year period experienced a 48 percent survival rate, with Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) being initiated 89 percent of the time.

In an effort to increase those odds the Department of Aviation recently completed a program that provided mandatory CPR training to all of its 516 employees.
The program, conceived by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin is part of a larger initiative to train all city employees. The purpose it to increase survival rates from heart related emergencies.

“Armed with this training, our employees will be able to do something to help in an emergency,” said Safety and Training Officer Jessica Meeks.

Even before the training began in September, Hartsfield-Jackson had an excellent record of providing assistance in heart-related emergencies, Meeks said, “There’s a saying that if you go into cardiac arrest, one of the best places to be is at the Airport. That’s because we have so many Automated External Defibrillator units and emergency personnel in the facility.”

Now the Airport has even more ways to assist. Aviation employees and contractors who attended one-hour sessions received their own CPR kit containing a mini CPR manikin, instructional DVD, and booklet. They are also receiving a sense of empowerment to help.

“Most people are amazed at how much a non-medical person can do to save a life,” Meeks said. “We hope this effort will lead to a network of increased knowledge.”