Learn CPR in 5 minutes at Science Center booth

Sean Ferguson of Hampton was in a parking lot at the University of Dayton in Ohio in 2015 when he was struck by lightning. The jolt triggered a cardiac arrest.

He was saved by Matt Lickenbrock, a fellow University of Dayton student, who performed hands only CPR that he had learned just two days earlier at a kiosk while on a layover in Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Now, Mr. Ferguson, who suffered burns to 35 percent of his body, works with the American Heart Association to help others learn CPR.

Last week, he helped unveil a kiosk at Highmark SportsWorks at Carnegie Science Center that aims to teach visitors hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation in just 5 minutes.

It’s the first one that has been placed in a museum. There are at least five others around the country, most in airports, said Sandra Volpe, senior vice president of FedEx Ground, which sponsors the booth.

Developed by the American Heart Association, the kiosk is just inside the entrance and opens with an introduction of hands-only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test that evaluates the depth and rate of compressions. It features a rubber mannequin that users can practice and be tested on. The heart association recommends compressing at 100 beats per minute, or just about the tempo of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” the kiosk’s namesake song.

Mr. Ferguson said Mr. Lickenbrock had to try three times to pass the test at the Dallas booth to get the depth of the compressions correct, but he’s glad Mr. Lickenbrock kept trying.

Annually, Americans experience 350,000 cardiac arrests outside of hospitals. Only 12 percent of those survive, according to the AHA.

“CPR is lifesaving, but not everyone is comfortable because they

haven’t been trained,” said Angela Wheland, vice president of communications for FedEx Ground. The goal of the new booth is to improve access to the lifesaving technique.

“It’s something you hope you never have to use,” said Matt Needle, Carnegie Science Center director of education, “but it’s a great skill to have.”

Between June 2016 and March 2017, these booths trained 41,000 people how to perform hands-only CPR, according to Chelsea Julian, heart association community marketing associate manager. As for the Pittsburgh booth, Ms. Volpe estimates that between 12,000 and 15,000 people annually could learn the technique.

“It takes just a couple minutes to learn that skill for a friend or a loved one,” Mr. Ferguson said.

Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette Sean Ferguson of Hampton speaks at the unveiling of a new CPR training kiosk at Carnegie Science Center’s Highmark SportsWorks. After being struck by lightning, his life was saved by someone who learned CPR on such a kiosk.

Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette Sean Ferguson of Hampton does chest compressions on the new FedEx Ground CPR Training Kiosk at Carnegie Science Center’s Highmark SportsWorks.