05/26/2026
Manchester Trains Over 1,000 In CPR In One Week Event
During the week of May 18-22, the Manchester Fire Department took part in the first New Hampshire “Hands Only” CPR Challenge.
This Challenge was initiated by Governor’s Executive Councilman John Stephen whose life was saved during a medical event by bystanders who knew ‘Hands Only” CPR. While recovering from the medical event he learned how easy it was for someone to learn Hands-Only CPR and he challenged his fellow Executive Council members to have as many people as possible in their districts learn the easy, life-saving skill.
Hands-Only CPR, otherwise known as Compression-only CPR involves concentrating on the compression component of CPR and focusing on circulating oxygenated blood to the brain while waiting for First Responders to arrive.
By focusing only on the compressions, which are fast and hard at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute, the need for giving breaths like in traditional CPR is not needed. The act of the compression not only compresses the heart but also the lungs, which naturally causes inhalation and exhalation by the mechanics. There is no special medical knowledge needed and it is easy to learn.
Led by EMS Captain Christopher Hickey, the Manchester Fire Department, in conjunction with community partners American Medical Response and Boston Medflight, held 4 sessions of the of Hands-Only CPR classes at Trinity High School, Eversource, Central High School and Parkside Middle School. In total, the number of persons who walked away from the sessions with the life-saving skill numbered 1,014. Students across the Manchester School District now know the simple skill that could help save someone’s life, because doing something is better than doing nothing.
Chris Stawasz, Regional Director for AMR commented, “Hands-Only CPR empowers ordinary people to save lives. Every trained bystander makes our community stronger, safer and more prepared when seconds matter most.”
“Our motto is ‘Your Life. Our Mission,’ and programs like the NH CPR Challenge are a big part of bringing that mission to life,” said Mike Steckevicz, Clinical Operations Manager for Boston MedFlight Manchester. "Hands-Only CPR is one of the most impactful interventions for cardiac arrest survival. As a nonprofit organization focused on serving our communities, we’re proud to be part of an effort that helps prepare and empower young people across New Hampshire to step in, help others, and improve outcomes when every second matters.”
2,165 people were trained statwide in the one week effort
Manchester School District Manchester, NH Mayor's Office City of Manchester, NH Fire Department AMR Southern New Hampshire Boston MedFlight
