The American Heart Association’s new CPR awareness campaign promises that it only takes 60 seconds to learn the life-saving skill either online or  during free in-person sessions at  the new state-of-the-art mobile training unit that kicks off its nationwide tour in New York City . Supported by a $4.5 million grant from the WellPoint Foundation, the campaign will contribute to the American Heart Association’s goal to double survival from cardiac arrest by 2020.

The initiative features comedic actress Jennifer Coolidge (Legally Blonde, 2 Broke Girls, Best in Show) and uses the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” to teach CPR – because the disco classic has the near-perfect rate for doing chest compressions during CPR

 “People feel more confident performing Hands-Only CPR and are more likely to remember the correct compression rate when trained to the beat of ‘Stayin’ Alive,’” said Alson Inaba, M.D., the American Heart Association CPR instructor credited with first using the song to help students recall the right rate of compressions. “Not only is it a fun, catchy and memorable way to remember what to do, but it works – people’s lives have been saved because of it.”

 Coolidge stars in the American Heart Association’s humorous new public service announcement  to teach everyone the two easy steps of Hands-Only CPR. If a teen or adult suddenly collapses, call 9-1-1 and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of “Stayin’ Alive” until help arrives.

 “It seems almost impossible to me that the whole world doesn’t know CPR. I learned Hands-Only CPR while shooting the American Heart Association’s new PSA, and now I know how to save a life,” said Coolidge. “Who would’ve thought? I can save a life!”

Nearly 400,000 Americans suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year, and almost 90 percent die because they don’t receive immediate CPR from someone on the scene. When begun immediately, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

 Hands-Only CPR “How To” Video

This one-minute animated video  walks viewers through the easy steps of Hands-Only CPR. 

Click here to view the PSA in which Coolidge struts to “Stayin’ Alive” as she recounts the simple steps to help save a life, ignoring interruptions from many – presumably because EVERYONE around her knows Hands-Only CPR.  

To learn more about the Hands-Only CPR campaign and tour, “hustle” to heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR , facebook.com/AHACPR  or youtube.com/HandsOnlyCPR .