FDNY releases new PSA, 'Every Second Matters' to highlight CPR/AED Awareness Week

June 6, 2024

Rainelle McKune and her sister, Roniesha, were giving their dog a bath. Just a few minutes later in the bathroom, 19-year-old Rainelle suffered a severe asthma attack. She ran into a nearby bedroom to grab her inhaler. 

Roniesha found her sister sweating profusely and struggling to breathe. Listening to directions from an FDNY dispatcher on the phone, Roniesha administered CPR on her sister until FDNY units, including Paramedic Jonathan Morel, arrived.  

Rainelle was in cardiac arrest. 

FDNY emergency personnel took over CPR and attached their AED (Automated External Defibrillator). CPR was continued while units established an IV, administered resuscitation medications and placed a breathing tube. After 36 minutes, Rainelle regained a pulse. She has since made a full recovery, and her sister's previous CPR training likely helped to save her life.

Every second matters. 

"In the face of urgency and desperation, our EMTs, Paramedics, Officers and Dispatchers provide help," Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said. "They are the calming presence at the other end of the line, guiding panicked family members and directing them to help. It truly is a miracle that we make miracles seem so easy and like everyday occurrences."

National CPR and AED Awareness Week is June 1-7, 2024.  

The FDNY, with help from the FDNY Foundation and other partners, offers free, hands-only CPR classes with the goal of equipping New Yorkers with the basic skills to take action in the event of a cardiac arrest emergency. 

Early CPR and the use of an AED have been shown to dramatically increase the chance of survival in victims who experience sudden cardiac arrest, much like the situation with the McKune sisters. They were featured at the Department's 28th-annual Second Chance Ceremony in May and reunited with the FDNY members who helped save Rainelle's life.

FDNY's CPR classes are taught by certified and highly trained EMS members. Since the classes began in 2006, the FDNY Mobile CPR Unit has trained thousands of New Yorkers in hands-only CPR.

Learn more and sign up for a class on FDNY's website at this link.