At 10:32 a.m. on Sunday, a 59-year-old man had a heart attack while driving along Avondale Road Northeast.

Due to the quick response of four community members and their ability to provide CPR until firefighters arrived, the Redmond man is alive today and recovering in a local hospital.

The four citizens initiating CPR before Redmond police and firefighters arrived on the scene significantly increased the victim’s chances of survival.

“Four citizens helped saved a life because they were CPR trained; this gave him a fighting chance and made a difference,” said Fire Capt. Rob Torrey. “Every minute counts, and being certified in CPR increases your effectiveness in helping others and encourage everyone to get trained.”

As Redmond police officers blocked traffic to allow rescuers room to work, firefighters and paramedics took over recovery efforts from the citizens and spent nearly 45 minutes resuscitating the victim, which included CPR, advance life support and defibrillation. Once he was stabilized, Redmond Medic One transported the man to a local hospital.

Redmond Medic One and King County have the highest cardiac arrest success rates — not only in King County, but nationally, according to a City of Redmond press release. The most important component of this success is a direct result of early citizen recognition and CPR resuscitation to keep vital organs alive.

The City of Redmond offers CPR certification in a training program called Redmond Ready along with other personal preparedness topics. The next Redmond Ready class is April 12. Visit www.redmond.gov/ready to register. For more information about Redmond Ready, contact Debbie Newman at danewman@redmond.gov or (425) 556-2259.