Saving Lives Through Training: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation Leads Awareness Month With 'Ready to Respond' Initiative

WEXFORD, Pa., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF) is proud to announce the launch of its inaugural Ready to Respond: Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Training Week, taking place October 12–18, 2025, during National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month.

This annual campaign, observed the second full week of October, is designed to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and equip schools, workplaces, and communities with lifesaving knowledge and skills through CPR and AED training.

"Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Gina Peattie, MPA, Executive Director of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. "Through Ready to Respond: SCA Training Week, we're bringing lifesaving CPR and AED education directly into communities across the country. Our goal is simple: learn the facts, gain the skills, and save a life."

Why Training Week Matters

• High Incidence: More than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the U.S., and nearly 90% are fatal.
  
  
• Immediate Response Saves Lives: CPR can double or triple survival rates, yet fewer than half of victims receive bystander aid.
  
  
• Close to Home: About 70% of cardiac arrests happen at home — meaning the life you save is most likely that of a loved one.
  
  
• Workplace Safety: An estimated 10,000 cardiac arrests occur at work each year in the U.S.
  
  
• Protecting Students: SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses.

How to Get Involved During SCA Awareness Month

• Find a Ready to Respond Training: Visit SCAF's website to locate a public/community event near you.
  
  
• Share Facts & Resources: Amplify lifesaving information all month long by following and sharing SCAF's social media posts.
  
  
• Share information with friends, family, schools, and workplaces to help raise awareness.
  
  
• Become a HEART Champion: Join a nationwide network of volunteers raising awareness about SCA year-round. Join here.

This October, more than 80 training sites nationwide are already registered to participate in the first-ever Ready to Respond: SCA Training Week. These events will reach thousands of people with lifesaving education about SCA, CPR, and AEDs.

Together, we can strengthen the Chain of Survival and ensure more lives are saved.
Learn the facts. Gain the skills. Save a life.

About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF) is a national nonprofit organization seeking to eliminate preventable death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest and support people affected by SCA. SCAF's mission is to raise public awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and promote initiatives that help save lives through education, research, and community. Learn more at www.sca-aware.org.

To support our work, please visit www.sca-aware.org/donate.

Contact
Gina Peattie, MPA
Executive Director, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
gina.peattie@sca-aware.org

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SOURCE Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation