The $749 million Charter Oak Federal Credit Union in Groton, Conn., is one of only six companies in the state that has received the HEARTSafe Workplace designation by the Connecticut Department of Health.
The program is designed to improve the odds of survival for people who have sudden cardiac arrest or heart attacks in the workplace. Employees receive emergency care training in how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, and how to use automated external defibrillators, AEDS. The program also holds health promotion activities for employees.
Nearly 40 Charter Oak FCU employees have received CPR/AED training and certification, the credit union said. In addition, all 12 Charter Oak branches have access to AEDs.
Effective CPR administered immediately after sudden cardiac arrest doubles a victim’s chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association. However, AHA statistics show about 70% of Americans do not know how to administer CPR, which is a reason why only 5% of cardiac arrest victims survive.
If more people knew how to administer CPR, more lives would be saved, according to the AHA.
