THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING JUNE 1-7, 2010, AS

CPR & AED Awareness Week

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WHEREAS, heart disease affects men and women as well as youth regardless of race, culture or socio-economic status and remains the leading cause of death in the United States, with emergency medical personnel treating nearly 300,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests a year; and

WHEREAS, national statistics show that in cases of witnessed, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, less than a third of the victims receives cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from a bystander; and

WHEREAS, in 2009, San Mateo County emergency medical personnel responded to more than 455 cardiac-arrest 911 calls, of which approximately 58 percent of the victims died at the scene; and

WHEREAS, a cardiac-arrest victim’s chances of survival more than doubles with prompt delivery of CPR, which helps maintain blood flow to the heart and brain, increasing the effectiveness of defibrillator shocks, even those from an automated external defibrillator (AED) operated by a witness; and

WHEREAS, from the onset of cardiac arrest, every minute that passes without CPR equals a 7- to 10-percent decrease in the victim’s survival rate; the interval between a 911 call and the arrival of emergency medical personnel is usually longer than five minutes; therefore, a cardiac arrest victim’s survival is highly dependent on bystanders or witnesses trained in CPR and AED use.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that the Board of Supervisors of San Mateo County designates June 1-7, 2010, as CPR & AED Awareness Week, and joins the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, National Safety Council and San Mateo County emergency medical personnel in encouraging everyone on the Peninsula to learn more about the lifesaving benefits of CPR and AED equipment.

Dated: MAY 25, 2010

SUPERVISORS:

RICHARD S. GORDON, PRESIDENT

MARK CHURCH

CAROLE GROOM

ROSE JACOBS GIBSON

ADRIENNE J. TISSIER

Attest:

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Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors