Three Skills That Can Save a Life in 2026 And Why Your Family Should Know Them

Every January we talk about getting healthier, getting organized and finally sticking to our goals. But there is one goal that matters more than any gym membership or planner. It’s about being better prepared for emergencies.

Recently, during one of my CPR training classes, a man stood up and shared a story about the night his father’s friend collapsed in their living room. No warning. No symptoms. One moment he was there, the next he was not responding. He began chest compressions exactly the way we had practiced. He continued chest compressions until emergency help arrived. His father’s friend survived.

Then he said something that has stayed with me. He said “I always thought CPR was something I’d probably never need. I was wrong. It was the most important thing I’ve ever learned.”

That is why I do this work. I truly wish emergencies like these were rare, but they’re not. According to the American Heart Association, between 350,000 and 417,000 people will suffer a sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital this year. And most of those emergencies will not happen in public. More than 70% will happen right at home.

That means when someone collapses, the first person who can help is usually not a doctor or a paramedic. It’s YOU.

Here is the part that keeps me teaching year after year: 9 out of 10 cardiac arrest victims do not survive because help does not arrive fast enough. Only about 40% of people receive CPR or AED help before emergency crews get there. However, when someone starts CPR right away, it can double or even triple their chance of surviving.

So, as you’re making your New Year’s resolutions, trying adding these life-saving skills to your list:

Skill #1: CPR and AED Training

CPR keeps blood flowing when the heart stops. AEDs help restart a heart when it goes into a deadly rhythm. Together, they save lives every single day.

The best part is that learning CPR and how to use an AED takes about two to two and a half hours. Hands Only CPR, which uses just chest compressions, takes only a few minutes to learn. A few minutes of learning can give someone you love another chance to live.

Skill #2: Knowing What to Do When Someone Is Choking

Choking happens quietly and fast. That is what makes it so dangerous.

This year, about 5,000 people in the United States will die from choking. Most of them will be young children and older adults.

Children three and younger are at the greatest risk, with 75% of choking incidents happening in kids under three. The number one cause of unintentional death for infants under one year old is an obstructed airway.

Food causes about 60% of choking emergencies in children. The rest come from things like coins, button batteries and small toy parts. For adults 65 and older, swallowing becomes harder with age, which makes choking more likely.

And one more important thing. Choking relief guidelines recently changed just a few months ago. What you learned years ago may no longer be the safest way to help. That is why current training is so important.

Skill #3: How to Stop Life-Threatening Bleeding

Severe bleeding is something most people do not think about until it is too late. Blood loss causes 35% of all prehospital deaths. It is the leading cause of preventable death from trauma.

A serious cut, a fall or a car accident can turn deadly if bleeding is not controlled quickly. That is why I teach Stop the Bleed, a 45-minute hands-on class that shows everyday people how to stop severe bleeding using pressure, tourniquets and simple tools until help arrives.

You do not have to be in healthcare to save someone from bleeding to death. You just have to be trained.

Why This Matters So Much

1.     CPR.

2.     Choking relief.

3.     Bleeding control.

These are not “nice to know” skills. They are life-saving skills. I want 2026 to be the year more families are trained, more people feel confident to step in and more lives are saved.

If you are ready to learn how to save a life, I would love to help.

Stay safe and stay prepared,

Gail Gould

The CPR and Safety Lady