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Nation of Lifesavers is the Heart Association’s initiative to bring awareness, education, and training in 
CPR and AED use to everyone, everywhere. The Heart Association has a bold goal to double survival 
from out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest by 2030. Most sudden cardiac arrests happen outside of the 
hospital with only 1 in 10 surviving. Calling 911, starting CPR, and getting an AED can double or triple 
someone’s chance of survival. Nation of Lifesavers is determined to change the social norm around CPR 
by partnering with national sports leagues and engaging school systems, employers, and community 
organizations nationwide, while advancing efforts to ensure schools and athletic fields are prepared with 
cardiac emergency response plans, future generations graduate with CPR training, and T-CPR becomes 
standard across the country. Together, these efforts will turn a nation of bystanders into a nation of 
lifesavers.
In the year ahead, the Heart Association looks forward to strengthening local engagement with CARES 
State Coordinators and collaborating even more closely with fellow CARES PRIME partner organizations. 
Together, we remain dedicated to building stronger, more resilient communities equipped to save lives 
from cardiac arrest.
The American Red Cross, in support of CARES PRIME, launched Mission 
CPR, an initiative dedicated to increasing access to bystander CPR 
training and raising awareness of the importance of bystander CPR 
during an OHCA event. 
In 2025, Mission CPR fostered an extensive collaboration 
with San Diego Revive and Survive, resulting in 19 
community members becoming certified as Red 
Cross Hands-Only CPR Presenters. These community 
members represented UCSD EMS Club, SDSU student 
group, various local high schools, and San Diego County 
employees. Together, these 19 certified presenters then 
trained nearly 200 people in Hands-Only CPR.
Additional efforts focused on working with American Red 
Cross Licensed Training Providers to offer free Hands-
Only CPR sessions in CARES PRIME priority communities. 
In California, outreach extended to communities such as 
Los Angeles and Sacramento, where Spanish Hands-Only 
CPR sessions and youth sessions were introduced. In Los 
Angeles, Red Cross youth volunteers trained more than 
400 community members.
The Red Cross supports our Mission CPR providers through free Hands-Only CPR Presenter training 
offered in-person or virtually. Each presenter then receives 
a kit including Red Cross Hands-Only CPR compression 
tools (like a stress ball) with a QR code linking to an 
instructional video and additional information about 
sudden cardiac arrest and CPR, “I learned how to save a 
life today” stickers for participants, and electronic flyers to 
promote Hands-Only CPR sessions in their community.
In 2026, Mission CPR will continue to expand its reach 
by providing our presenters with additional marketing 
materials to support their community outreach and help 
engage community members in training. It will also deepen 
engagement with the CARES user network, providing the 
training and equipment support needed to offer Mission 
CPR in their communities.
The American Red Cross

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