HOUMA, LA— Local businesses and organizations sponsored “Keep the Beat,” a non-profit event consisting of three bystander CPR training sessions that were free to the public. The event was held at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center on Saturday, February 28, 2009 with sessions at 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Certified CPR instructors taught the sessions which were about an hour and a half long.

“Keep the Beat” targets the Bayou Region to educate residents from Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes in basic life-saving techniques. Although South Louisiana has one of the highest incidences of heart disease in the industrialized world, many in the area do not know how to perform CPR.

The American Heart Association lists four steps to save the life of a sudden cardiac arrest victim: early contact with 911, the administration of CPR, defibrillation and advanced care for the patient. To aid with these steps, “Keep the Beat” sponsors a school competition and raises funds to donate an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the winning school. These portable, electronic, life-saving units are simple devices that give the user step-by-step verbal instructions. The combination of both CPR and the use of an AED greatly increases a victim’s chance for survival because these steps can be taken prior to the arrival of a professional medical team.

“Keep the Beat” began in Houma in 2003 and has educated more than 1,000 people in bystander CPR. Throughout the country, communities offering free CPR training courses are reporting strong turnouts at similar events. More importantly, the classes are providing education on how to save lives. The use of effective bystander CPR nearly doubles a victim’s chance for surviving sudden cardiac arrest.