Part of the initiative looked to pilot regional committees to bring local leaders into rooms to find solutions tailored to those communities. Tarrant County was one of three areas selected \u2014 with the others being Corpus Christi and the state of Colorado.<\/p>\n
The simple task of this committee? To provide better training, education and funding to improve bystander reactions to sudden cardiac events.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know it can be done because there’s other communities that have much better outcomes than us,\u201d said Jenny Eyer, vice president of community impact for the American Heart Association. \u201cAnd it\u2019s a lot easier to get them implemented if you have a group of people saying to do this rather than just the American Heart Association.\u201d<\/p>\n
That emphasis on educating the public may seem simple, but a bystander\u2019s role is crucial prior to the arrival of medical professionals. Only 41% of patients nationwide receive bystander care, according to the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival<\/a>.<\/p>\n And every minute that passes before CPR is performed, a person\u2019s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest drop by 10%, according to the American Red Cross<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t always prevent a cardiac event from happening, so CPR is truly a pillar of our work,\u201d Eyer said.<\/p>\n Since starting the committee in September 2024, the American Heart Association estimates 127,528 people in Tarrant County have become CPR-certified, partly because of efforts from committee members.<\/p>\n Who sits on the Tarrant County Nation of Lifesavers Committee?<\/p>\n Leaders from these organizations are members of the pilot program:<\/p>\n Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital. Many organizations in the pilot program take active steps toward change within their circles.\u00a0<\/p>\n Most recently, Fort Worth Police announced their intention<\/a> to equip 150 patrol cars with automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. The goal is for all 450 police department vehicles to have AEDs, public information officer Cynthia Wood said.<\/p>\n Along with being valuable for the department \u2014 four police officers had AEDs used on them in sudden cardiac events over the last ten years \u2014 the defibrillators allow officers to provide care if they are first at the scene.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a success story \u2014 if they can help us, we can help the community as well,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n The Texas Education Agency requires students<\/a> in grades 7-12 to receive CPR instruction at least once. But the requirement, which is vaguely worded, didn\u2019t provide students the training necessary for the skill to be applicable in a real-life situation, said Joe Harrington, superintendent of the Hurst\u2011Euless\u2011Bedford Independent School District, which aspires to better train students under the framework required by the state.<\/p>\n In some districts, the lax requirement led to only one video being shown to students within those six years. But HEB district leadership decided to go in another direction, increasing the number of its CPR kits from six to 66 and making sure that all eligible students received training on CPR dummies.\u00a0<\/p>\n The school district also extended CPR training to fifth and sixth graders, Harrington said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal eventually is that every kid is on the mannequin every year from fifth grade on,\u201d he added. \u201cWe really feel that if we can do that level of muscle memory, then we’re going to create a society where it is second nature.\u201d<\/p>\n These efforts led HEB ISD to receive the \u201cDistrict of Lifesavers\u201d designation from the American Heart Association in 2024.<\/p>\n The work being facilitated by the committee isn\u2019t exclusive to their members.<\/p>\n HEB ISD\u2019s revamping of its CPR curriculum was noticed by other school districts. Harrington mentioned Carroll ISD as one of several that followed their template.<\/p>\n And outside the pilot program, other organizations are looking to work at improving bystander training.\u00a0<\/p>\n Zavadsky, vice president of the Tarrant County Nation of Lifesavers Committee, said there are current plans to host a CPR bystander training at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. They are also looking to promote bystander notifications to cell phones to alert folks who installed the application that others nearby are in need.<\/p>\n From his perspective, the only way that a nation of lifesavers can be created is by linking forces in Tarrant County to better improve that 10% rate.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would love to have more community input, because the more people involved, the bigger the difference you\u2019ll get,\u201d Zavadsky said.<\/p>\n Ismael M. Belkoura is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nFort Worth Independent School District.
\nFort Worth Police Department.
\nDeloitte.
\nHCA Healthcare.
\nHurst\u2011Euless\u2011Bedford Independent School District.
\nMedStar.
\nMedical City Alliance.
\nPWW Advisory Group.
\nReinhausen.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_6541-1024x683.jpg\")
Automated external defibrillators will soon be installed in 150 Fort Worth Police Department vehicles. Photo taken Feb. 23, 2026. (Ismael M. Belkoura | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_9279-1024x768.jpg\")
A sign outside the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD Administration Building at 1849 Central Drive in Bedford. (Matthew Sgroi | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n