Springfield City Council recognizes businesses for completing 50/50 Challenge

(From the City of Springfield)

Springfield City Council recognized seven local businesses for completing the “50/50 Challenge” at the June 23 City Council meeting.  The first seven businesses to complete the challenge and become “Springfield LifeSave Plus” organizations include Bass Pro Shops, The Bodysmith, City Utilities of Springfield, DermaHealth, Paul Mueller Company, Rick’s Automotive, and Title Boxing Club.
 
In March, Springfield City leaders joined members of the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, CoxHealth, Mercy, Ozarks Technical Community College, Safety Council of the Ozarks, and the Springfield Fire Department to unveil a new initiative called “Springfield LifeSave”. The purpose of this initiative is to reduce the number of deaths caused by sudden cardiac arrest in our community.

 
Each year, over 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital. When this occurs, it can be deadly. However, when CPR and defibrillation by an Automated External Debrillator (AED) is administered immediately, cardiac arrest is reversible in most cases. Unfortunately, without CPR and defibrillation, the chance of survival decreases by 10% each minute.  The “Springfield LifeSave” program and the “50/50 Challenge” aim to decrease the number of cardiac arrests in our community.
 
The goals of the “Springfield LifeSave” initiative are to train 45,000 people in compression-only CPR, double the number of AEDs in the community, and have 100 businesses and organizations commit to the “50/50 Challenge.” Those who take the “50/50 challenge” and commit to certifying 50% of the workforce or 50 employees, will be designated as a “Springfield LifeSave” organization. Those who purchase an AED in addition to getting their employees certified in CPR will be designated as a “Springfield LifeSave Plus” organization.
 
Tonight, City Council is asked to adopt a resolution to formally recognize Bass Pro Shops,The Bodysmith, City Utilities of Springfield, DermaHealth, Paul Mueller Company, Rick’s Automotive, and Title Boxing Club for making a commitment to the safety of our community by taking steps to make Springfield the safest city for surviving sudden cardiac arrest.
 
For more information on “Springfield LifeSave” and the “50/50 Challenge”, please visit www.springfieldlifesave.org.