The American Heart Association (AHA) is leveraging the massive audience of Super Bowl LIX to expand critical emergency response skills, offering free Hands-Only CPR training to attendees at the NFL's Super Bowl Experience in New Orleans.
The Mobile CPR Unit will provide walk-up style instruction from Wednesday, February 5 through Saturday, February 8, teaching participants the correct technique for chest compressions. This marks the fifth NFL event where the AHA has deployed its mobile training unit, continuing a growing partnership aimed at increasing public emergency preparedness.
Compression-only CPR has been scientifically proven to be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of an emergency. With nearly 75% of cardiac arrests occurring in homes, the ability to perform immediate CPR can significantly improve survival rates. Currently, 9 out of 10 people who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests do not survive, often due to delayed or absent CPR intervention.
The initiative extends beyond the mobile training unit. The AHA will also conduct CPR education at the NFL PLAY 60 Kids Day, where 1,000 students will learn life-saving techniques alongside football-themed activities. Additionally, the organization's 12 New Orleans-based Scholars will participate in CPR training as part of Black History Month recognition.
As part of the collaborative effort, the AHA and NFL have enlisted player ambassadors, including cardiac arrest survivor Damar Hamlin, to encourage CPR learning. The organizations aim to inspire more people to become part of the Nation of Lifesavers movement, with the ambitious goal of doubling cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030.
This comprehensive approach not only provides immediate skills training but also highlights the critical importance of emergency preparedness. By making CPR education accessible and engaging, the American Heart Association and NFL are working to transform potential bystanders into lifesavers, one compression at a time.
