American Heart Association, Bill and Laurie Brennan and Credo Sponsor Hands-Only CPR Training Kiosk to Help the Public Learn Life-saving Skill
PALO ALTO, Calif., May 2, 2025 — In 2015, Bill Brennan, president and CEO of Credo, was visiting potential customers in Tokyo, Japan when a woman who was walking ahead of him collapsed without warning. Stunned, Brennan stopped and tried to help, holding her but feeling powerless to do more. Despite paramedics arriving swiftly, they could not revive her, and she died of cardiac arrest. The weight of that moment deeply impacted Brennan, moving him to act. Within a week of returning to California, he completed a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification course, determined never to feel helpless again.
The tragedy also inspired Bill and his wife Laurie Brennan to advance cardiac health care in the greater Bay Area by helping residents learn the life-saving skill. Now, with Silicon Valley technology company Credo, the Brennan family is sponsoring a Hands-Only CPR training kiosk provided by the American Heart Association. The CPR training kiosk is located on the first floor at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in Palo Alto, California.
“We’re proud to support the AHA’s vision to create a nation of lifesavers by providing this CPR training kiosk, which will reach thousands of people each year,” said Brennan. “Hands-Only CPR is simple to learn and can be quickly taught to almost anyone, empowering them to save a life. We have learned that even imperfect CPR is better than none at all.”
Every year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of a hospital, and more than 20 percent occur in public places. The Hands-Only CPR kiosk will help empower people to learn and practice CPR skills and understand how they can immediately help a person who has experienced a cardiac emergency.
The kiosk features a touch screen with a video that provides an overview of Hands-Only CPR, followed by a practice session and a 30-second test using a manikin, or a rubber torso. The kiosk then gives feedback about the depth and rate of compressions and proper hand placement—factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR. The training can be done in English or Spanish with closed captioning and takes about five minutes.
“Cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in the United States, and survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby,” said Liza Mudd, American Heart Association Bay Area SVP Executive Director. “Although certified CPR training is still the best way to learn the skills necessary for high-quality CPR, the kiosk will provide additional training that could make a difference and save someone’s life.”
More than 23,000 children experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year. [1] It’s important to note that about 90 percent of all cardiac arrest victims, both children and adults, die often because bystanders don’t know how to start CPR or they’re afraid they’ll do something wrong.
“Bystander CPR, especially if administered immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, which is why the Hands-Only CPR education available at the kiosk is so valuable,” said Justin Lee, M.D., board member for the American Heart Association Greater Bay Area. “In just a matter of a few minutes, people will learn a skill that can potentially make a difference in the lives of those they love most as well as others.”
There are two simple steps for Hands-Only CPR. Call 9-1-1 if you see a person collapse, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of a song that has at minimum 100 beats per minute, such as Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” or the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” For children and infants, CPR also requires breaths. Parents can learn more about CPR with breaths at heart.org/nation.
The training kiosk at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford will be available to families of patients and visitors to practice their CPR skills for the next three years. It is the third kiosk installed in California, with the other two located in Southern California, among a total of 30 mobile and standard kiosks placed across the U.S. To date, the Hands-Only CPR kiosks have been used to train more than 600,000 people.
To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and learn how to save a life, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr
Additional Resources:
Traditional Chinese - Bay Area CPR Kiosk
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Instagram and X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
For Media Inquiries:
Nerissa Pacio Itchon, nerissa.itchon@heart.org
Public Inquiries:
1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721), heart.org and stroke.org
