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Red Cross Mourns Loss of CPR Pioneer
Written by Mason Booth, Staff Writer, RedCross.org
August 5, 2003 —
The American Red Cross today mourns the loss of Peter Safar, M.D., who passed away on Sunday (August 3). Known as the “Father of CPR,” Dr. Safar dedicated his career to saving lives, a cause that continues in his great legacy.
Dr. Peter Safar helped pave the way for modern day emergency response.
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“Dr. Safar truly was a pioneer and paved the way for modern day emergency response with the development of CPR,” said Scott Conner, American Red Cross Vice President of Preparedness.
That development began in 1957, when Dr. Safar decided to take lifesaving skills out of the hospital and into the public.
After years of researching life support and anesthesiology, he sought techniques that could be used by every individual and soon developed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) steps “A” and “B”.
In documenting step “A” (airway), Safar illustrated how the airway of a victim could be controlled by the backward tilt of the head, jaw thrust and open mouth. Through step “B” (breathing), he showed how effective mouth-to-mouth resuscitation was compared to manual artificial ventilation.
By combining his steps with C (circulation - which already had been researched and documented), Safar created the “ABCs” of basic life support.
”His achievements taught CPR to laypersons and empowered individuals with the skills to respond to emergencies, including major disasters,” Conner said.
In 1976, Dr. Safar participated in a Red Cross committee designed to create temporary guidelines to update First Aid for Foreign Body Obstruction of the Airway.
His contributions helped develop the fundamentals for the lifesaving classes, such as First Aid and CPR, which the Red Cross continues to teach to more than five and a half million people each year.
Dr. Safar’s mission to arm every person with resuscitation techniques is echoed in the Red Cross’ Together We Prepare campaign, a bold commitment to prepare all individuals, families, communities, schools and workplaces for emergencies, including both man-made and natural disasters.
The initiative challenges people to take the following five proactive steps to make the nation safer including: build a kit, make an emergency response plan, donate blood, volunteer and, in the great tradition of Dr. Safar, get trained.
” Because of him, these very real lifesaving skills have become accessible to the general public, and saved hundreds of thousands of lives around the world,” Conner said. “Dr. Safar’s remarkable achievements created a foundation for emergency response and we continue to use his humanitarian vision to help people each day.”
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All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. The Red Cross also supplies nearly half of the nation's lifesaving blood. This, too, is made possible by generous voluntary donations. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. You can make a secure online credit card donation or call 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Or you may send your donation to your local Red Cross or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013. To donate blood, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1-800-448-3543), or contact your local Red Cross to find out about upcoming blood drives.
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