The Fort Worth ISD announced on Thursday that it will offer district-wide CPR training and emergency planning as part of the American Heart Association's "district of lifesavers" program. 

The program aims to turn bystanders into lifesavers and double the survival rate from cardiac arrest outside of hospitals.

To qualify, Fort Worth ISD had to implement the Kids Heart Challenge ot American Heart Challenge on every campus in the district and establish a cardiac emergency response plan. 

"We're proud to take this step to protect our students, staff and families," Superintendent Dr. Karen Molinar said. "By training our teams and preparing for emergencies, we're strengthening our community's ability to save lives."

According to the American Heart Association, more than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest outside hospitals every year, and nearly 40% of those are sports-related. The AHA says "Immediate Hands-Only CPR can double or triple survival chances, yet only one-third of victims receive it."

Fort Worth ISD is the largest district to join the initiative.