OKLAHOMA CITY, June 3, 2024 — Nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), especially if performed immediately, can double or triple survival rates.¹

That is why the American Heart Association, celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service, and MidFirst Bank are broadening efforts to drive CPR education in Oklahoma City with an interactive kiosk designed to teach hands-only CPR to Oklahoma City residents and visitors to Science Museum Oklahoma.

June 1-7 marks National CPR and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week, and there’s no better time for the public to learn CPR, said Steven Griffin, senior vice president of MidFirst Bank. The financial institution funded the kiosk in OKC through the end of 2025.

“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time and there are countless lives in Oklahoma City that can be saved when bystanders are confident and ready to perform CPR,” Griffin said. “Anyone who doesn’t know CPR should consider taking advantage of the kiosk, which they can visit at their leisure when the museum is open.”

The kiosk features a touch screen with a video program that provides a brief introduction and overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test session. With the help of a practice manikin, or a rubber torso, the kiosk gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions and proper hand placement – factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR.  The entire training takes about five minutes.

In a 2023 hands-only CPR consumer survey funded by the Elevance Health Foundation, less than half of respondents said they were not confident they could perform either conventional CPR (with breaths) or hands-only in an emergency.

“We want at least one person in every household to learn CPR” said Mark Fried, executive director of the American Heart Association-OKC. “Imagine the lifesaving impact we could make if every home in Oklahoma City had a hero in waiting who was confident and ready to act in a cardiac emergency.”

Each year, more than 350,000 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States. If called on to do CPR, you will likely be saving the life of someone you love: a spouse, parent, friend or other family member.

There are two simple steps to performing hands-only: First call 9-1-1, then push hard and fast in the center of the person’s chest at a rate of 100 beats per minute (bpm). The Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive,” grooves to the minimum rate you should push on the chest during hands-only CPR. (A playlist with other popular songs with the same number of bpm can be found on Spotify under “Don’t Drop the Beat.”)

To learn more about the hands-only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

About MidFirst Bank

With $32.2 billion in assets and serving more than 900,000 customers, Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank is the largest privately owned bank in the country. MidFirst Bank has banking centers in Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado and Texas and provides commercial lending, wealth management, private banking and mortgage servicing nationally. MidFirst Bank also operates 1st Century Bank as a division of MidFirst Bank in Southern California.

For Media Inquiries

Cyd King: M 479.263.8473; cyd.king@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org