NJ Schools Learn CPR to Boost Cardiac Arrest Survival

Staff, students, and parents in 12 New Jersey school districts can now train in Hands-Only CPR and AED use.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Heart Disease

NJ Schools Learn CPR to Boost Cardiac Arrest Survival

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Would you be willing to take a CPR or AED training course?

The New York Jets and the American Heart Association trained representatives from 12 New Jersey school districts in Hands-Only CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use in Wayne on November 4. Three schools also received AEDs, giving districts equipment and materials to train students, staff, and parents.

Why it matters

Nearly 9 in 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital die, and the program aims to strengthen bystander response in New Jersey schools and communities, where a trained person nearby can make the difference before emergency responders arrive. The effort supports the American Heart Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative, which seeks to expand bystander CPR training and raise survival rates.

The figures come from program participation records for the CPR in Schools initiative and from American Heart Association data on cardiac arrest outside hospitals. The source does not report a study design, sample size, or measured outcomes from the training itself.

The players

New York Jets

The National Football League franchise supports the American Heart Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative through community health programs.

American Heart Association

The leading nonprofit focused on heart disease and stroke runs the CPR in Schools program and the Nation of Lifesavers initiative to expand bystander CPR training.

The details

Hands-Only CPR involves chest compressions without rescue breaths, which lowers the barrier for untrained bystanders to act. An AED is a portable device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and can deliver an electric shock to restore a normal rhythm when one is needed. Each participating school received a CPR in Schools training kit containing CPR manikins, AED training tools, and educational materials. Governor Livingston High School, Wayne High School, and Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School each received an AED.

November 4, 2026: CPR and AED training held in Wayne for representatives from 12 school districts.

Health Landscape

Bystander CPR and public access to AEDs are central strategies in the American Heart Association's Nation of Lifesavers initiative, which aims to raise cardiac arrest survival rates by training more people in lifesaving response. School-based programs like this one extend that effort into a setting where students and staff can learn skills that carry into daily life.

If you work with or care for students, learning Hands-Only CPR and AED basics is a practical skill worth seeking out through local schools or community programs. Ask your school district or your own physician whether a CPR course fits your situation.

The takeaway

Immediate CPR can double or triple a person's chance of survival after cardiac arrest, and bystanders can learn Hands-Only CPR without rescue breaths. Consider asking your school or community center whether a CPR and AED training session is available.