Minutes matter when it comes to saving a life during a catastrophic medical emergency.

That’s why Pittsburgh and UPMC are partnering on a free program designed to educate the public on lifesaving techniques people can use in the minutes before medical help arrives.

“Having the public be there when somebody collapses and suffers a cardiac arrest actually does make the difference between life and death,” said Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich, who served as a city paramedic from 1985-90. “Having the general public be able to provide adequate CPR, tourniquets for those that are involved in traumatic incidents (and) Narcan, will save numerous more lives.”

The partnership dubbed Minutes Matter includes a website that outlines why it’s important to apply first aid immediately following a traumatic medical event and includes basic tips for such things as a heart attack, drug overdose and bleeding. The site also permits the public to sign up for First Aid training held locally.

UPMC plans to air commercials announcing the program across the Pittsburgh TV market during Sunday’s Super Bowl. UPMC spokesman Paul Wood said they include one 60-minute and two 30-minute ads. The first one will run just before halftime, he said.

The 60-minute video includes a restaurant worker applying CPR to a customer who collapsed while sitting at a table and a young man helping a woman injured in a car crash.

Pittsburgh’s Assistant Emergency Medical Services Chief Mark Pinchalk said bystanders apply first aid in about 40 percent of EMS heart attack cases. He said the city hopes to double that through the Minutes Matter program.

“The phase we don’t control is what happens before we get there,” he said. “In a lot of times if there’s no action taken before we get there and initiate resuscitation the bad physiology is already kind of out of the barn, and despite our best efforts there’s not a whole lot we can do.”

Dr. Donald M. Yealy, who chairs UPMC’s Emergency Medicine Department, said it’s critical to begin applying first aid immediately.

“Right now only about 40 percent of the time are we getting the maximum opportunity because someone tried at the scene,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve been imperfect. Just trying by itself usually provides enough of the protection in the events we’re talking about.”

Minutes Matter will launch on Feb. 2.

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