The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced on Dec. 29 that more than 6,000 people were trained in essential life-saving skills in 2025 such as hands-only CPR, overdose reversal, mental health training and stopping excessive bleeding in an emergency.

In 2025, 6,096 individuals completed the Community Readiness Champions Gold Medal Training at community events and government staff trainings. Participants included 4,459 public health department staff, 994 staff from other county and Los Angeles city departments, 462 community members and 181 college students. Additionally, the Department of Public Health organized 799 Community Readiness Champions community outreach events and completed 73,212 training modules that provided hands-on training for community members.

The Community Readiness Champions Gold Medal Training is an innovative countywide public health initiative that adapted existing trainings into one comprehensive course comprised of five modules of life saving skills: Mental Health Awareness During Emergencies, Stop The Bleed, Naloxone Training, Hands-Only CPR with Automated External Defibrillator Awareness and the “5 and 5 Method” – five back blows followed by the Heimlich maneuver – for choking incidents. Trainings are offered free to community groups, businesses, faith-based organizations, colleges, universities and high schools.

“The Community Readiness Champions Gold Medal Training was launched to provide individuals with life-saving skills to take action during an emergency or disaster, especially when emergency response may be delayed,” Los Angeles County Department of Public Health director Barbara Ferrer said.

The Community Readiness Champions Gold Medal Training will continue to be offered free in 2026. For information, visit ph.lacounty.gov/communityreadinesschampions.