National CPR and AED Awareness Week runs June 1–7, 2027, a yearly push to get more people ready to act when someone’s heart stops. A few minutes of practice can make a stranger the most useful person in the room.
June 1 to 7, Every Year
Every year, on the first seven days of June. The dates are fixed, so the week can begin on any weekday.
Congress set those dates. On December 13, 2007, it unanimously approved a resolution naming June 1 to 7 as the national week, the American Heart Association says.
Three groups had pushed for that recognition together: the AHA, the American Red Cross and the National Safety Council.
How the Week Came About
Each of the three groups already taught lifesaving skills. In 2007 they joined forces to ask Washington for a week that would put CPR and AEDs in the public eye.
An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is the portable device that reads a heart’s rhythm and can deliver a shock. Many now hang on walls in offices and airports.
Support in Congress was unanimous. Since then, the AHA has used the week each June to promote training, especially the simpler Hands-Only method for bystanders.
Local fire departments and hospitals take part too. In 2026, Montgomery Fire/Rescue in Alabama used the week to point residents to its classes.
Why Bystanders Matter
Cardiac arrest outside a hospital is common. More than 350,000 such arrests happen in the U.S. each year, the AHA reports, and its 2023 statistics counted over 356,000.
Survival is low. Only 9.1% of adults treated by EMS for a non-traumatic arrest survived to leave the hospital, based on 2021 data.
Put another way, about 90% of people whose hearts stop outside a hospital die, an AHA figure cited by local news in 2026.
Most arrests happen at home, about 73.4% of them. That means the person nearby is often a relative, not a stranger.
Yet bystanders step in only some of the time. Just 40.2% of out-of-hospital arrests received bystander CPR in the AHA’s 2023 count.
Speed changes the odds. Immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
U.S. deaths from sudden cardiac arrest reached 436,852 in 2020, according to the AHA.
Learn the Two Steps
Hands-Only CPR has just two steps for an adult who suddenly collapses. First, call 911. Second, push hard and fast in the center of the chest.
Aim for 100 to 120 compressions a minute, at least 2 inches deep. The beat of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees fits that pace, and so does Johnny Cash’s “Walk the Line.”
Seattle’s fire department adds a few practical tips. Give your location first when you call, send someone to grab an AED, and let another rescuer take over after about two minutes.
- Sign up for a CPR class this week, whether through the AHA, the Red Cross or a fire station near you.
- Watch a short Hands-Only CPR video with your family and practice on a firm pillow.
- Find where the AEDs are at your office, school, gym and place of worship.
- Ask your workplace whether its AED has fresh pads and a charged battery.
- Make a playlist of songs with the right beat and practice counting along.
- Encourage a teenager in your family to get certified before summer jobs start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need training to use an AED?
Not to start. The device gives spoken instructions, though a class builds confidence.
Is CPR and AED Awareness Week a federal holiday?
No. It’s a recognition week, and life goes on as usual.
Who pushed for the week?
Three national safety and health groups, led by the AHA.
Can I hurt someone by doing CPR?
The bigger risk is doing nothing. Without help, most people in cardiac arrest die.