Protective Life, an Alabama-based financial service holding company first founded in 1907, announced a new partnership with the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers campaign.
The joint effort will make Protective Life a local sponsor to distribute life-saving CPR equipment to Birmingham fire stations.
“Protective has called Birmingham home for more than 116 years, and we are committed to supporting our neighbors through impactful programs that create a stronger community,” said David Loper, VP of Community Engagement and Executive Director of the Protective Life Foundation. “We are proud to sponsor the Nation of Lifesavers campaign to bring awareness to the need for this work and empower others to learn lifesaving skills that can help a loved one or a neighbor during a time of crisis.”
Lizzi Willicott, Executive Director of the American Heart Association in Birmingham, believes that the new training is vital for the city.
“Birmingham’s extremely low bystander CPR rate is a critical issue that must be addressed, and that begins with Hands-Only CPR training programs such as this,” said Willicott, executive director of the American Heart Association in Birmingham. “We are so grateful for Protective’s support in bringing these much-needed CPR resources to our community.”
The fire stations that will first offer the training are:
- #1-Downtown
- #2-Southside
- #3-Highland
- #6-Lower Downtown
- #7-Greensprings
- #8-East Birmingham
- #10-Avondale
- #13-North Birmingham
- #14-Legion Field
- #21-Elyton
The CPR kits contain miniature manikins, kneel mats, training videos, an AED training simulator, and a facilitator guide.
According to the American Heart Association, if a cardiac event occurs, the national bystander CPR rate is around 40%. Birmingham’s CPR rate is 7.52%.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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