Less than five percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims survive because the vast majority of those witnessing the arrest do not know how to perform CPR.

At 1 p.m. Monday, April 10, at Ameriquest Field, 250 Arlington residents have been selected to help launch CPaRlington, a citywide health initiative aimed at training Arlington’s population in the lifesaving practice of cardio pulmonary resuscitation or CPR. The city has a five-year goal to train 10 percent of its population or approximately 36,000 residents, using a self-directed training program that teaches CPR in 22 minutes.

From the baseball field on April 10, participants will view an instructional DVD that will walk them through each step of CPR training, from inflating a manikin to doing chest compressions and rescue breathing.

Laerdal Medical, a leading supplier of emergency medical products, has partnered with the City of Arlington to make CPR Anytime Kits available for Monday’s event. The CPR kits will also be available for individual and group purchases. The kits include an inflatable manikin, a CPR skills practice DVD, and associated informational materials. The program is designed to teach those who do not attend traditional CPR classes.

Each year, more than 350,000 people in the U.S. die from coronary heart disease before reaching a hospital room or emergency room.

"We recognize that far too many people are not prepared to do CPR when it’s needed," said Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, who is also a physician. "Our program is about education and saving lives."

According to the American Heart Association, the CPaRlington initiative is becoming a national model for teaching life-saving skills in communities throughout the U.S.