Buffalo, NY (WBEN) In light of the high profile cardiac arrest cases of both Damar Hamlin and Kim Pegula, heart health experts tell WBEN they're getting more inquiries about CPR training.
Jason Stulb of the American Heart Association says "the silver lining" to all this is the increased interest across the entire community in learning 'hands only' CPR. "Traffic to our website has increased about 620%. We've definitely seen about a tenfold increase in just the local trainings and demonstrations that we've been doing around the community," adds Stulb.
Stulb says the association has had a lot of outreach from both from the corporate side and community organizations. "We've been going in, giving about 30 to 45 minute lectures on hands only CPR and AED awareness," says Stulb. He adds they've been looking to train people in 'hands only' CPR beyond the few members of an emergency team to all of their employees to have the knowledge and take it home to their families.
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Nick Bond of the American Red Cross says he's also seen a significant amount of inquiries about CPR training. "The Red Cross offers a 'hands only' CPR training that takes only somewhere around 30 to 35 minutes. And the program is really intended to build that confidence with that responder," explains Bond.
Bond says that is critical for those with loved ones vulnerable to cardiac arrest. "The majority of the time, if you're going to respond to someone that's having a heart related emergency, it's with a loved one. So people are really trying to find out how can I be prepared if one of my loved ones has has a heart related emergency," adds Bond. He says the CPR programs are offered free.
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Bond says there are also inquiries about AEDs. "We saw and heard about it being effective during the Monday Night Football game, so we have seen individuals that are asking not only how to get a hold of an AED, but also how to be trained to make sure that the people that are around or within a facility that has an AED, know how to respond," says Bond.
Vince Riddle with the YMCA Buffalo Niagara says he's been getting more inquiries about CPR training too. "We recently just offered a 'hands only' CPR class at the Southtowns branch here two days ago, we have 28 people registered. Our Lockport branch is going to be conducting one upcoming on Tuesday, the 21st, they have 40 people registered with 31 on the waitlist," says Riddle.
Riddle says he's also heard about inquiries about AEDs, especially on social media. "New instructors are looking for brands that they should get for their businesses. I know right now, the American Red Cross is doing a social media thing where they're challenging people to go out to businesses to take a selfie with an AED," notes Riddle.
Hamlin appeared Thursday at the NFL Honors thanking those who saved his life on the field January 2nd.
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