Heartsafe project: The Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) has launched a community scheme in a bid to combat the 6,000 deaths a year from heart attacks.
The Heartsafe Community Programme, launched by President Mary McAleese, is designed to "strengthen the chain of survival" by teaching people the techniques of cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use automatic external defibrillators.
Heart disease, Ireland's biggest killer, claims the lives of 11,000 people each year, with more than half of those dying suddenly.
Around 70 per cent of sudden cardiac arrests happen out of hospital and the survival rate from these heart attacks is only 1 per cent.
At the launch, Mrs McAleese watched a demonstration of CPR and the automatic external defibrillator (AED), which analyses the heart rhythm and uses voice prompts to advise if a shock is needed. The computerised devices cost around €2,000 each.
After seeing the demonstration, Mrs McAleese told members of the IHF that with the Heartsafe programme, communities would have many people with the confidence, training and facilities to save lives.
"The Heartsafe community programme is something that's going to make a huge difference to the lives of individuals and their families," she said.
She told the foundation that when her father suffered his first heart attack, he only survived because of the actions of a cardiac nurse who found him in the street.
"This scheme is aimed at communities, and through it everybody is given the understanding that we have a role to play in the chain of survival, and that we don't always have to depend on the ambulance or the doctor," Mrs McAleese said.
Dr William Fennell, president of the IHF, said the programme was about encouraging communities to take steps to save lives. "The launch this morning by President McAleese of our Heartsafe Community Programme is reflective of our commitment to strengthen the chain of survival.
"In addition, we will strive to have CPR training for students included in the school curriculum," he said.
As part of the programme the IHF will establish a "heartbeats" points system for communities, businesses and schools that complete required and optional elements. Once a community has achieved the necessary number of points - by training people in resuscitation and placing AEDs - it will be declared a "Heartsafe Community" for the next two years.