LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to
proclaim June 1-7, 2016, as CPR-AED Awareness Week in the State of New
York

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in recognizing serious
health concerns, proclaiming official weeks to increase awareness of
such concerns, which affect thousands of New Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to memorial-
ize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 1-7, 2016, as Cardiopulmo-
nary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Awareness Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with the obser-
vance of National CPR-AED Awareness Week; and
WHEREAS, Heart disease affects men, women, and children of every age
and race in the United States, and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a
leading cause of death in the United States, affecting approximately
326,200 people of all ages outside hospitals every day; and
WHEREAS, Dave Goldberg, CEO of Survey Monkey and husband of Sheryl
Sandberg, Facebook COO, was one of its recent victims; and
WHEREAS, During this week alone, about 6,250 unsuspecting victims will
suffer SCA, most of them (70 percent) at home; their hearts will unex-
pectedly stop beating and blood will no longer flow to the brain and
throughout the body; they will collapse, stop breathing normally, and
may appear to be having seizures; in essence, they will be dead and they
will stay this way unless bystanders act immediately to restore their
heartbeats with CPR and defibrillation; and
WHEREAS, Unfortunately, only one-third of SCA victims receives CPR
from bystanders and fewer than five percent are treated with AEDs before
EMS arrives at the scene; and
WHEREAS, For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation,
the chances of survival decrease by 7-10 percent; as a result, only 11
percent of victims typically survive; yet survival rates could double or
triple if more people knew what to do when SCA strikes; in fact, as many
as 50,000 additional lives could be saved each year; and
WHEREAS, In 2007, the United States Federal Government passed a bill
that recognized CPR and AED Awareness Week on a yearly basis; CPR-AED
Awareness Week helps to spread information and encourage more people to
learn how to do CPR and use AED machines to save people's lives; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body recognizes the critical importance of
increasing the survival rate from cardiac arrest and of incorporating
the tools of CPR and AED into aggressive programs in order to save thou-
sands of lives each year; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 1-7, 2016, as
CPR-AED Awareness Week in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New
York.