HARLOW Schools are being urged to join a world record attempt that will help save lives.

The region’s ambulance service is backing the ‘Kids Save Lives’ campaign to teach hundreds of schoolchildren cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on European Restart a Heart Day.

A CPR world record attempt will be attempted on Tuesday 18th October, led by The Resuscitation Council with support from The British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and ambulance services across the country.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) is now calling on schools in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk to get involved.

Wendy Risdale-Barrs, a community collaboration manager for EEAST, said: “A cardiac arrest – when someone is unconscious and not breathing – is the highest priority call for the ambulance service and the target is to reach a patient within eight minutes. However, every second counts and the chances of survival are greatly improved if someone can do effective CPR before the arrival of community first responders and ambulance staff.

“This is why it is so important that everyone knows what to do if they find someone in cardiac arrest. We are looking forward to training schoolchildren on 18th October and we hope this is a life-saving skill they remember for life and go on to spread the word with their families.”

The aim is to train more than 100,000 young people across the country on how to perform CPR on Restart a Heart Day. Currently in the UK, fewer than one in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest. However, the survival rates in parts of Norway are 25% because CPR is taught in schools.

To find out more about getting involved in Restart a Heart Day, visit https://www.resus.org.uk/events/rsah2016/

To get involved and register your interest by emailing [email protected]