b'2021 CARES Annual Report 19 19 The Florida Resuscitation Academy: To See Another Sunrise By Thomas DiBernardo, Florida CARES State Coordinator, Florida Department of Health In 2017, The Florida Department of Health provided a grant to fund a pilot resuscitation academy in an effort to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation practices within the state. In preparation, Assistant Fire Chief Jorge Gonzalez and Battalion Chief Daniel Moran of Davie Fire Rescue attended the Resuscitation Academy Leadership Seminar in Seattle, Washington where they learned about the 10 Steps for Improving Survival from Cardiac Arrest. Topics included cardiac arrest data collection, telephone CPR and rapid dispatch, high performance CPR, AED and CPR training, and implementation of best practices and change management. Equipped with these resources, they partnered with Davie Fire Rescues Medical Director, Dr. Peter Antevy, to host a local resuscitation academy in southern Florida, attended by more than 300 participants. The initial academy was overwhelmingly well-received and thus, the Florida Resuscitation Academy was created.In June 2018, the state experienced a surge of support to expand the CARES program to any EMS agency wishing to join. As data is a crucial component in improving resuscitation efforts, it was only natural to couple the two efforts. The Florida EMS Trust Fund provides the funds for a dedicated CARES State Coordinator and the Florida EMS Matching Grant Program provided funds to cover the CARES state subscription fee as well as three Florida Resuscitation Academies. During 2021, the Florida Resuscitation Academy continued to receive grant funding through the State of Floridas Rural Health Office to conduct five courses in rural areas of the state. The goal of these courses is to train attendees on all aspects of resuscitation. Lectures cover the importance of measurement via CARES data input and analysis, teach Telephone-CPR using the NHTSA CPR LifeLinks program, and demonstrate how to implement a train-the-trainer model for High-Performance CPR using an organized systematic approach known as Pit Crew. The grant also provided funds to purchase both high-performance and basic manikins for First Responders and telecommunicators, allowing attendees to take these critical resources back to their respective agencies and call centers for training. Its the little thingssaving a second here, shaving off two seconds there, says Becky Mathews, HP-CPR Instructor/Trainer, I think a big piece of the RA is mindset change. Think about athletesan Olympic skier knows how to go down the mountain, but they also have coaches. They have people who can break down their turns or the way they push off, which can make a huge difference over the length of a run. Were doing the same thing here. Everyone knows how to do CPR, but we can make little tweaks - cutting down on pauses or bagging more effectively - which make a big difference over the length of a resuscitation. Today, the Florida Resuscitation Academy has completed over 10 resuscitation academies across a variety of regionsSouth Florida, the Space Coast, the Heartland, the Emerald Coast, and the Gulf Coast. Since its inception, more than 800 Fire, EMS, and Hospital providers across the state have attended one of the academies and are now better equipped to handle the challenges in improving resuscitation efforts.6 In March 2022, the Florida Resuscitation Academy was named an RA Lighthouse, by the Resuscitation Academy in Seattle, Washington. Lighthouse communities serve as mentors to others, spread the RA message and create positive change. Lighthouses live the 10 Steps and are beacons to others. The hard work of the Florida Resuscitation Academy faculty has led to many survivors throughout Florida being given the chance To See Another Sunrise.6https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ze3400uMok'