(NewMediaWire) - February 18, 2024 - DALLAS The American Heart Association wants more people to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency, adding more people to the Association's Nation of Lifesavers(TM) movement, which intends to double sudden cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of 10 of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person's chance of survival.

The American Heart Association's Mobile CPR Unit has been on site at NBA Crossover offering Hands-Only CPR instruction to attendees at NBA All-Star weekend held at the Indiana Convention Center Friday, Feb. 16 - Sunday, Feb. 18. In this walk-up style instruction, participants learned the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions. According to the American Heart Association, compression-only CPR, known as Hands-Only CPR, can be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response and is a skill most everyone can learn. It is as simple as calling 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Keyontae Johnson, a 2024 Nation of Lifesaver Ambassador and Oklahoma City Thunder Forward, visited the Mobile CPR Unit on Friday, Feb. 16 to learn how to perform Hands-Only CPR and use an AED. Johnson is a member of the 2024 players class of the Nation of Lifesavers Ambassadors which also includes Onyeka Okongwu of the Atlanta Hawks, Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies, Larry Nance Jr. of the New Orleans Pelicans, Keita Bates-Diop of the Phoenix Suns, Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers, Jeremy Sochan of the San Antonio Spurs and Collin Sexton of Utah Jazz. In this yearlong commitment serving as a Nation of Lifesavers Ambassador these players will support efforts to increase CPR education and increase the chain of survival in their communities.

"Expanding the knowledge of the lifesaving skill of CPR and AED use is critically important to improving the chain of survival for everyone, everywhere. It is our honor to teach Hands-Only CPR as thousands of fans come through Crossover," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. "As we celebrate 100 years of lifesaving work, we know that with every CPR training we are one step closer to improving bystander CPR response rates and improving cardiac emergency outcomes."