Less than 40% of individuals experiencing cardiac arrest outside of a hospital receive CPR from bystanders before emergency medical services arrive, according to the American Heart Association. An even smaller percentage receive treatment from an AED (automated external defibrillator). However, new collaborative efforts are aiming to improve these statistics and drastically increase heart attack survival rates.

The NFL and other professional sports organizations are collaborating with the Red Cross and the American Heart Association to promote the Smart Heart Coalition, an initiative focused on improving cardiac arrest response, particularly in schools.

Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, emphasizes the importance of emergency response plans in schools, stating, "While older individuals are statistically more prone to cardiovascular events, these events can also occur in young people. Therefore, preparedness and training are crucial in all settings."

The quick response of medical personnel to Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's on-field collapse during a Monday Night Football game highlighted the importance of preparedness and established protocols. The incident prompted the NFL and Hamlin to advocate for widespread implementation of emergency response plans.

Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president for health and safety innovation, stressed the need for schools to adopt similar preparedness measures, despite having fewer resources than professional sports organizations. He highlighted three key policy adjustments: CPR training, a comprehensive emergency action plan, and readily available AEDs within one to three minutes of any athletic event or practice.

These efforts extend to the legislative level, with lawmakers introducing the Access to AEDs Act, which aims to provide schools with funding for AEDs. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) underscored the importance of rapid response, sharing a personal anecdote about his brother's life being saved thanks to the immediate availability of an AED.

Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), a medical doctor, emphasized the significant impact of CPR and AEDs on survival rates, stating that having an AED available can increase survival chances sevenfold. He also advocates for an app that can help people locate nearby AEDs.

MedStar Health in Washington, D.C., is partnering with professional athletes to raise awareness and demonstrate CPR and AED usage. Dr. Alex Koo of MedStar Health notes the positive impact of athlete involvement in encouraging public engagement with these life-saving techniques.

The American Heart Association has simplified CPR training by removing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, emphasizing the effectiveness of hands-only CPR. They encourage widespread CPR and AED training, advocating for its inclusion in everyone's summer safety plans.

For those interested in learning CPR or how to use an AED, resources are available at MedStarHealth.org/CPR and CPR.heart.org.