HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2025-4621

HR 4621

ByRepresentative Rule

WHEREAS, More than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year and about 70 percent happen at home; and only about one in 10 survive; and more than 23,000 children under the age of 18 experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year in the United States and almost 40 percent of these are sports related; and

WHEREAS, CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person's chance of survival; and only about 46 percent of people who experience cardiac arrest receive CPR from people nearby while waiting for emergency responders to arrive; and

WHEREAS, There are effective solutions to this problem, including awareness and education to have cardiac emergency response plans in place, CPR education, and automated external defibrillator (AED) training and accessibility; and

WHEREAS, Knowing how to properly perform CPR has encouraged more people to act when faced with a cardiac emergency and to save more lives from cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, we must increase the number of people who respond to cardiac arrest by calling 911, delivering high quality CPR, and using an AED as soon as it is available; and

WHEREAS, February was first proclaimed national heart health month by United States president Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 to focus on cardiovascular health, raise awareness about the risks of heart disease, and highlight the possible steps that can be adopted to save the lives of those countless people and address the unequal burden of heart disease in overburdened communities; and

WHEREAS, In celebration of American Heart Month, we acknowledge the life-saving importance of learning CPR;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives recognize February 2025 to be American Heart Month in recognition of the importance of the ongoing fight against heart disease and stroke, and the effort to double the survival rate from cardiac arrest.