CHELMSFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To mark the kick-off of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month this October, ZOLL® Medical, an Asahi Kasei company that manufactures medical devices and related software solutions, is teaming up with professional football player Damar Hamlin to announce Anything Can Happen. Anyone Can Help.™ —a new national public awareness initiative to communicate that AEDs, like fire extinguishers, are essential, life-saving tools whose visual and audio instructions empower anyone to help save a life in an emergency, and should be readily accessible in every community.
At the heart of the campaign is Damar Hamlin, whose incredible story of survival and momentous return to professional football has captivated the nation. After suffering a sudden cardiac arrest during a nationally televised game, Hamlin was resuscitated on the field, thanks in part to the immediate use of an AED. Now, as ZOLL’s passionate AED advocate, Hamlin is using his platform to dispel misconceptions about AEDs, inspire ordinary people to reach for one in a crisis, and inspire communities to act.
"When I think about what happened to me, I know that having an AED nearby made all the difference," said Hamlin. "I want every person to know that when AEDs are accessible, anyone can help save a life."
As part of the initiative, ZOLL and Hamlin are urging communities across the nation to increase AED education and AED placement in public spaces, including schools, parks, and recreation centers. With 30 states still failing to require AEDs in schools, ZOLL and Hamlin created www.AnyoneCanHelp.com, an online resource to help people start AED advocacy and fundraising programs.
The campaign will also feature a people-on-the-street video series where everyday people meet Hamlin and accept his challenge to try an AED. Their experiences and reactions help to dispel continuing misconceptions about AEDs and reinforce how easy AEDs are to use, empowering bystanders to act confidently in sudden cardiac arrest emergencies.
Campaign Responds to Pressing Need for Bystander Awareness of AEDs
According to the American Heart Association, each year in the U.S., over 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur, with more than 100,000 happening in public. Bystanders save roughly 1,700 lives using AEDs. Yet, a recent survey commissioned by ZOLL and conducted online by The Harris Poll found that nearly half of Americans (46%) are surprised to learn that AEDs provide easy-to-follow visual and audio instructions to help an unexpected rescuer perform CPR and administer a shock, highlighting the urgent need for greater public awareness and access to these life-saving devices.
“Consider the impact this campaign could have in saving countless lives,” said Elijah White, President of ZOLL's Acute Care Technology division. “With Damar's advocacy, ZOLL aims to make ‘Get the AED!’ as instinctive and widely recognized as ‘Call 911!’—empowering everyday bystanders with the confidence to step in and help save lives.”
Debunking Myths is Key to Inspiring Confidence
Although 96% of Americans believe they have a responsibility to call 911 during a cardiac emergency, according to the ZOLL/Harris Poll survey, only 47% feel the same about performing CPR or using an AED, despite treatment during the first three minutes being crucial for survival and EMS response times averaging 7-14 minutes. According to the survey Americans still want to be prepared to protect their communities:
- Americans want to help and be helped: 68% would not hesitate to save a stranger’s life in an emergency; 90% would want a bystander to use an AED on them to save their life if they were experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
- Americans want communities with AEDs: 89% believe communities should make AEDs accessible in public places, even if the law does not require it.
- Education boosts AED confidence and use: More than 2 in 5 Americans say they would feel more confident using an AED if it provided real-time coaching (45%) or if they saw a demonstration (42%). A similar proportion (41%) are surprised that simply turning on an AED and following visual and audio cues can help save a life.
- AEDs should be as accessible and intuitive to use as fire extinguishers: Most Americans feel confident using a fire extinguisher (84%) and a vast majority (89%) believe AEDs should be just as readily available.
“At one point, fire extinguishers seemed unapproachable to the average person, and now they’re responsible for saving countless lives,” Hamlin continued. “Please join me and help educate your local leaders and community groups that AEDs turn bystanders into lifesavers.”
To learn more about how you can start an AED advocacy campaign in your community and to download a Community Activation Kit, visit www.AnyoneCanHelp.com. ZOLL representatives are also available to answer questions and advise you on how to purchase and maintain AEDs to best suit your environment.
About ZOLL Medical
ZOLL, an Asahi Kasei company, develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives, while increasing clinical and operational efficiencies. With products for defibrillation and cardiac monitoring, circulation enhancement and CPR feedback, supersaturated oxygen therapy, data management, ventilation, therapeutic temperature management, and sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies that help clinicians, EMS and fire professionals, as well as lay rescuers, improve patient outcomes in critical cardiopulmonary conditions. For more information, visit www.zoll.com.
About Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin is a professional football player. After surviving a sudden cardiac arrest on the field, Hamlin has become an advocate for heart health and AED awareness, using his platform to inspire and educate others about the importance of emergency preparedness.
The survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of ZOLL Medical from May 2-6, 2024, among 2,046 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Marcia Gray (mgray@graycreate.com). For a full fact sheet click here.
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