The Buffalo Bills and the American Heart Association are entering the third year of their collaborative HeartBEAT initiative, expanding free compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training across Western New York. This program aims to increase community readiness to respond to sudden cardiac emergencies and contribute to the Association's goal of doubling out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030.
The initiative will offer free CPR education at multiple community events, including the Buffalo Public Schools Summit, Buffalo Bills Training Camp, Buffalo CycleNation, and HeartBEAT Game Day. These events provide accessible opportunities for residents to learn critical lifesaving skills in high-traffic, community-oriented settings.
As part of a five-year, $1 million commitment, the program will focus on teaching Hands-Only CPR techniques and distributing training resources. In the first two years, 62 CPR and First Aid in Youth Sports training kits were placed in the community, with plans to distribute an additional 200 kits that can potentially train approximately 300 people per year.
Recent survey data indicates the initiative is making progress. The percentage of U.S. adults confident in performing CPR has increased from 30% to 35% between 2021 and 2023. This growth is crucial considering that more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals annually in the United States, with nearly 75% happening in homes.
Megan Vargulick, Western New York executive director of the American Heart Association, emphasized the critical nature of immediate response during cardiac emergencies. "Knowing how to respond when seconds matter is literally the difference between life and death," Vargulick stated.
The HeartBEAT initiative, inspired by the cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin during a Monday Night Football game, represents a strategic approach to community health education. By leveraging the popularity of the Buffalo Bills and the expertise of the American Heart Association, the program seeks to transform more community members into potential lifesavers.
Hands-Only CPR, which involves calling 911 and performing chest compressions, has been shown to be as effective as traditional CPR in the critical first minutes of a cardiac emergency. The simplicity of the technique makes it accessible to a broader range of people, potentially increasing the likelihood of successful intervention during a cardiac event.
