What is Restart a Heart Day?
Restart a Heart Day is an annual event held on October 16th to raise awareness about the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and to encourage more people to learn this life-saving skill. The day promotes education on how to perform CPR and use automated external defibrillators (AEDs) during cardiac emergencies. Led by organizations such as the Resuscitation Council UK, the European Resuscitation Council, and other global partners, Restart a Heart Day emphasizes that immediate intervention during cardiac arrest can significantly increase survival rates.
The campaign aims to empower individuals, schools, workplaces, and communities to take action and learn the skills needed to restart a heart, ultimately making a difference when every second counts. Through events, workshops, and hands-on training sessions, Restart a Heart Day helps build a more resilient and responsive community equipped to save lives.
History and Origin
Restart a Heart Day was launched in Europe in 2013 by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) to improve cardiac arrest survival rates through widespread CPR training. In the UK, it was adopted in 2014 by the Resuscitation Council UK, in partnership with emergency services, charities, and other health organizations. The goal was to create a day dedicated to educating the public on CPR and the use of AEDs, emphasizing the critical role that bystander intervention plays in cardiac emergencies.
Over the years, Restart a Heart Day has expanded globally, becoming a significant part of international efforts to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and CPR training. The initiative now involves a broad range of activities, including free CPR classes, school programs, and community events designed to teach as many people as possible how to save a life.
Who Celebrates Restart a Heart Day?
- Healthcare Organizations and Emergency Services: Paramedics, doctors, and nurses take part in training sessions and demonstrations, helping the public learn CPR techniques and how to use AEDs effectively.
- Schools and Educational Institutions: Schools integrate CPR training into their curriculum, offering hands-on workshops for students to learn these essential life-saving skills.
- Charities and Non-Profit Organizations: Groups focused on heart health and emergency response host events, webinars, and campaigns to promote CPR training and the importance of immediate action during cardiac arrests.
- Workplaces and Community Centers: Employers and community organizations participate by organizing CPR training sessions for their employees or members, creating a safer and more prepared environment.
- General Public: Individuals of all ages and backgrounds join training sessions, either in-person or online, to become more confident and capable of responding in a cardiac emergency.
Slogans and Themes
Restart a Heart Day focuses on themes of empowerment, education, and action. Slogans such as “Learn CPR, Save a Life” and “Every Second Counts” emphasize the urgency and importance of taking immediate action during cardiac arrest. The campaign also highlights the critical role that everyday people play in saving lives, encouraging everyone to learn basic life support skills.
Colors, Symbols, and Patterns
- Colors:
- Red, symbolizing the heart, health, and emergency response, as well as evoking the urgency of cardiac emergencies.
- White, representing the purity of the life-saving act and the clarity needed during emergencies.
- Blue, often associated with medical professions and healthcare services, promoting trust and responsibility.
- Symbols:
- Heart and heartbeat line, illustrating the focus on cardiac health and the urgency of restoring a heart’s rhythm during cardiac arrest.
- AED icon, representing the use of automated external defibrillators, a critical tool in saving lives during cardiac emergencies.
- Hands, symbolizing the action of performing CPR, emphasizing the role that every individual can play in saving a life.
- Patterns:
- Pulse patterns, representing the heartbeat and the importance of quick intervention to restart it during cardiac arrest.
- Circular designs, symbolizing the cycle of life and the continuous effort needed to keep communities educated and prepared.
- Interlocking hands, showing the supportive and collaborative effort needed between individuals and communities to improve survival rates.
Most Used Hashtags
- #RestartAHeart
- #CPRSavesLives
- #LearnCPR
- #EverySecondCounts
- #SaveALife
- #CPRTraining
- #AEDAwareness
How to Celebrate Restart a Heart Day
- Attend a CPR Training Session: Find a local event or workshop where you can learn CPR and how to use an AED. Many organizations and emergency services offer free training sessions on this day.
- Organize a Training Event: Schools, workplaces, and community centers can host CPR and AED training events to educate their members and increase preparedness in the event of a cardiac emergency.
- Practice Your Skills: For those who have already learned CPR, use the day as an opportunity to refresh and practice your skills to ensure you remain confident and prepared.
- Share Information on Social Media: Use the official hashtags and share infographics, videos, or personal stories about the importance of CPR to raise awareness and encourage others to get trained.
- Advocate for CPR Education in Schools: Support initiatives that integrate CPR training into school curricula, ensuring that young people learn life-saving skills from an early age.
Restart a Heart Day empowers individuals and communities to take action, making the skills needed to save a life accessible and achievable for everyone. With more people trained and ready to act, we can dramatically increase survival rates from cardiac arrest. After all, knowing how to restart a heart is a skill that could save a loved one’s life;or even your own.