Most Americans Think They Can Perform CPR. EMS Can Help Them Act

Do you think you could beat a chimpanzee in a fight if you were unarmed? How about pilot a helicopter to a safe landing? Or survive being lost at sea on a life raft for a week?

YouGov recently asked a series of “Do you think you could do the following?” questions, including the above questions, to 1,109 U.S. adult citizens. Several of the questions are relevant to EMS providers and bystanders providing emergency care. For example,

• 31% of all adults think they could deliver a baby in an emergency.
• 55% of all adults think they could perform the Heimlich maneuver successfully on a choking person.
• 53% of all adults think they could perform CPR on an adult whose heart has stopped.

Interestingly, adults over 45 are more likely to think they could deliver chest compressions (59% vs. 46%) or relieve a foreign body airway obstruction (64% vs. 44%) than YouGov respondents under 45.  

Public Confidence Doesn’t Always Become Action

YouGov poll respondents' confidence in performing CPR, unfortunately, doesn’t match the frequency of bystander CPR performance. According to the CARES (Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival) 2025 Annual Report, 42.5% of eligible nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients received bystander CPR, which was a small increase from the previous year.

Bystander CPR is a critical, life-saving intervention for sudden cardiac arrest because the likelihood of patient survival decreases 10% for every minute CPR and AED application is delayed. EMS can play a critical role in closing the gap between adults who think they can perform CPR and the laudable percentage who already deliver bystander CPR. Here’s how.

1. Target the people most likely to witness a cardiac arrest

Since 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest happens at home, it’s critical that CPR education targets audiences older than 50. It’s great to make CPR education a high school graduation requirement or teach hands only CPR to children visiting the station, but it’s older adults who are more likely to witness sudden cardiac arrest when they watch their partner collapse in the kitchen or find their spouse with agonal respirations in the living room.

As you plan CPR education events, seek out opportunities to teach in workplaces, senior centers, VFW and American Legion clubs, and community events that are likely to attract older adults, like farmer’s markets. Partner with community service organizations whose primary audience is adults over 50.

2. Keep CPR and AED messages in regular rotation

Most of your department’s social media messages are only seen by a small percentage of your total following. Post CPR education messages every other week or once a month.

Messages can include reminders to “push hard, push fast,” how to recognize cardiac arrest, what to do until help arrives, and how to find and use an AED. Create simple infographics, record videos of department personnel demonstrating hands-only CPR, and repost popular media clips of CPR instruction. There are many news stories about people who did CPR because they learned what to do (and not to do) from “The Office."

3. Treat telecommunicator CPR as a performance priority

Though YouGov respondents seem confident they could hypothetically perform CPR, it's important to match that bravado with instruction. 9-1-1 dispatchers, the first first responders, can dramatically increase the performance of bystander CPR. The American Heart Association reported that in a study of nearly 2,400 North Carolina cardiac arrest cases “that when a telecommunicator provided assistance to callers, bystander CPR was performed 44% of the time on women and 40% on men, compared to 9% on women and 11% on men when telecommunicator assistance was not provided.”

Emerging AI decision-support tools listening into the call may also help the dispatcher more quickly recognize cardiac arrest, prompting the initiation of CPR instruction and the automatic dispatch of an ambulance.

Making sure your 9-1-1 callers are receiving dispatcher CPR instructions might be the best way to increase bystander CPR rates in your community.

4. Use app-based alerts to mobilize trained responders

The PulsePoint Respond app notifies registered community members and professional responders that a sudden cardiac arrest patient is nearby and needs CPR. Registered CPR responders and professional responders use the app on- and off-duty to respond to cardiac arrest events in their jurisdiction.

Alerting nearby trained responders may shorten the time to chest compressions and time to AED use, increasing the likelihood of the return of spontaneous circulation. Learn more about implementing PulsePoint in your community at pulsepoint.org.

5. Recognize bystanders who step up

Regardless of the patient’s outcome, make sure to recognize bystanders, whether a loved one of the patient, a neighbor, coworker, or stranger, for acting. As an EMT or paramedic, you know that even in the best circumstances many cardiac arrest patients don’t survive. A willing bystander may not change the outcome, but that doesn’t diminish the contribution they made as a caregiver.

At the scene, do your best to get the name and phone number of bystanders who gave compressions or used an AED. Thank them for their willingness to help and the contribution they made to the resuscitation. Within a couple of days, contact them to see how they are doing and share any patient updates you are allowed to share.

CPR might be routine to you, but it probably isn’t for them. Listen and provide support as they remember delivering compressions and the impact that had on them. Find out if they are willing to be recognized at a department meeting, as well as on social media or local media. If the patient survived, is a stranger to the rescuer and is willing, offer to reconnect them privately or publicly in a cardiac arrest survivor celebration.

Ask Your Community if They are CPR Ready

What has your department tried to increase bystander CPR?

One way you can start is asking your social media audience this poll question, “Do you think you could perform CPR on an adult whose heart has stopped?”

Let me know if more than 53% say yes.

About the Author

Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is an EMS clinician, educator, and content strategist with more than two decades of experience in emergency services, continuing education, and public safety media. A Wisconsin-licensed paramedic, Friese has designed and delivered hundreds of accredited courses, training resources, webinars, and conference presentations for EMTs, paramedics, firefighters, and public safety leaders. His work bridges field experience, adult learning, leadership development, and clear communication. Friese is known for translating complex operational and clinical topics into practical tools EMS professionals can use to improve decision-making, team performance, and patient care.