URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) -- In emergency situations, a few moments can be the difference between life and death. And beginning in the new year, 911 dispatchers in Illinois will be even more equipped to help save lives.

A new law requires dispatchers across Illinois to be trained in TCPR.

"Having telecommunicators be able to walk the individual through how to give CPR in a really calm, direct manner can really increase survival rates," Government Relations Director at Illinois American Heart Association, Sarah Lackore, said.

The law requires telecommunicators to be skilled in two things: recognizing when cardiac arrest has occurred, and knowing how to walk the caller through performing CPR.

350,000 people suffer from a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year, but only 10% survive.

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