As a certified CPR instructor and registered cardiovascular invasive specialist here in Maine, I know how quickly a cardiac emergency can unfold. In those first moments, before help arrives, survival depends on the people nearby. That means anyone can make the difference.

At Maine Medical Center, I have spent my career caring for patients with heart conditions and training others in lifesaving skills like CPR. As co-chair of the Maine American Heart Association advocacy committee, I have also worked with lawmakers at the state and federal level to strengthen cardiac emergency response.

One message guides all of this work: you are the first responder until help arrives.

CPR and automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, save lives. But too many schools and communities still lack the training, plans and access needed to respond quickly. In cardiac arrest, every minute matters.

That is why I traveled to Washington, D.C., in April with other American Heart Association volunteers to urge Congress to support the HEARTS Act. This bipartisan legislation would help schools better prepare for cardiac emergencies and equip more people to respond.

As Congress considers funding for the coming year, it has an opportunity to invest in these lifesaving resources. We can make sure more people are ready to step in, take action and save a life. People do not have to be emergency medical technicians to save a life. They just have to be willing to try.

Chris Conley
Buxton