Last season, Bills safety Damar Hamlin‘s life was saved on the field thanks to the quick work of medical professionals who knew CPR and the proper use of a defibrillator. But you don’t have to be a medical professional to know how to save the life of someone who goes into cardiac arrest.
Learning CPR and the proper use of an automated external defibrillator is something that anyone can do, and can be a lifesaver in an emergency. As a result, Hamlin has been using his platform to promote CPR training, and Hamlin’s teammates stayed after Organized Team Activities to get training themselves.
Representatives of the Buffalo Black Nurses Association, University at Buffalo Medical Doctors, American Medical Response and the American Heart Association visited the Bills’ practice facility to train Bills players in CPR. Video posted by the Bills shows players including quarterback Josh Allen practicing chest compressions on a dummy and applying defibrillator pads on a dummy’s chest.
Hamlin has been advocating for nationwide CPR training and defibrillators at every school and every youth sporting event in the country, and the NFL has committed $1 million toward those efforts.