By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
When someone collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, survival is often determined before emergency crews ever arrive.
In Birmingham, health leaders say too many of those emergencies unfold without immediate intervention — and they are working to change that.
Ahead of CPR & AED Awareness Week, observed June 1–7, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Task Force is pushing to improve survival rates through education, public awareness and increased CPR participation across Birmingham and eventually the rest of Alabama.
The task force, announced in November 2025, brings together emergency physicians, firefighters, public health leaders and community organizations with one shared goal: turning bystanders into lifesavers.
“If we look at the data for the last 15 years or so in terms of cardiac arrest survival, Birmingham, we’re far behind,” said Ryan Coute, assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Task Force chairperson. “Our survival rate is around three out of every 100 people — about 3%. Nationally, that average is around 12%.”
Coute said one of the biggest drivers behind those numbers is Birmingham’s low bystander CPR rate.
“Our CPR rate in Birmingham is around 15 to 16%,’he said. “That’s about two and a half times below the national average, and we think that’s a large reason why our survival rate is much lower.”
For Kim Baldwin, Vice President of Community Impact at the American Heart Association, the task force represents an opportunity to rethink how communities learn lifesaving skills.
“The task force was really birthed out of a need to do more in the community around education and awareness,” Baldwin said. “We want to use Birmingham as more of a demonstration zone.”
Rather than relying solely on traditional certification classes, organizers want CPR education to become more visible and accessible.
During CPR & AED Awareness Week, organizers plan to host hands-on demonstrations in public spaces and encourage residents to practice real-world emergency response.
“We really want to take more of an on-the-street approach,” Baldwin said. “Literally go out into the community and ask people, ‘What would you do?’”
Coute said those moments matter because cardiac arrest leaves little room for hesitation.
“When someone is in cardiac arrest, they are pulseless — their heart is not functioning,” he said. “If they receive CPR before EMS arrives, that can double or triple the likelihood of survival.”
According to Coute, survival decreases by roughly 10% for every minute treatment is delayed.
That urgency is something Birmingham Fire Chief Cory Moon knows firsthand.
Moon, who serves on the American Heart Association board and helped assemble the task force, said his commitment stems from both his career and personal experience.
“I’ve been in the fire service for 25 years, seeing all the cardiac arrests and watching families go through the trauma,” Moon said. “Then my mom passed away from sudden cardiac arrest. Those two things together are what drive my spirit.”
Over his career, Moon said he has administered CPR thousands of times and believes one of the greatest barriers is fear.
“I know there’s fear with people who don’t know how to do CPR — they think they’ll do it wrong,” Moon said. “But it’s really an easy skill to learn.”
He was also struck by how few people step in before first responders arrive.
“The bystander CPR rate in Birmingham was around 10%. It’s gone up some to around 16%, but nationally it’s around 48%,” Moon said. “We rely on citizens to help start that lifesaving care before we as 911 get there.”
Baldwin said misconceptions continue to discourage people from acting.
“One of the biggest things we hear all the time is a fear that they’re going to do it wrong, that they’re going to cause more harm or that they’re going to be sued,” she said.
She emphasized that Good Samaritan protections exist for people acting in good faith.
Another misconception, Baldwin said, is that mouth-to-mouth breathing is required.
“The science and the research have shown us that rescue breaths are not necessary for most adolescents and adults experiencing cardiac arrest,” she said. “What’s most impactful is good, solid chest compressions.”
The task force’s first-year goals include increasing participation in cardiac arrest data reporting, creating more CPR training hubs and helping Birmingham schools implement cardiac emergency response plans.
Moon said access is already available.
Residents can receive free hands-only CPR training through Birmingham Fire and Rescue and participating community partners.
“We want to make sure at least one person in every household learns how to do hands-only CPR,” Moon said.
Ultimately, leaders say success depends less on professionals and more on everyday people deciding to act.
Baldwin’s advice is simple: Don’t wait.
“Press hard and fast in the center of the chest,” she said.
And Moon hopes Birmingham embraces the mission.
“We want to take away that fear,” he said, “and help turn a nation of bystanders into a nation of lifesavers.”
More information about CPR training and awareness events can be found through American Heart Association and Heart Alabama on Instagram.
