Virginia’s first mobile CPR training kiosk arrives at VCU Student Commons

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A life-saving tool is on the move in Central Virginia, and its latest stop is in the heart of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

The American Heart Association, alongside community partners, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Jan. 7 to celebrate the arrival of the state’s first mobile Hands-Only CPR training kiosk at the VCU Student Commons.

"It is an opportunity to contribute to the community by learning the critical skills of saving another person's life. And I think that is an education for life," said Anika Hines, Central Virginia's American Heart Association Board President.

The interactive kiosk is designed to be quick and accessible, teaching students, faculty and visitors the essentials of Hands-Only CPR in just about three minutes. Using a practice manikin and a digital screen, the device provides real-time feedback on compression depth and tempo -- skills that are critical when a person experiences cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting.

The kiosk will remain at the VCU Student Commons for the next three months before continuing its tour.

For VCU senior Nyla Harris, the arrival of the kiosk on her "stomping grounds" is personal. In March 2024, Harris jumped into action at an Eggs Up Grill in Midlothian, performing CPR to save a woman who had gone into cardiac arrest.

Since that day, Harris has dedicated her time to volunteering and teaching others the skill that saved a life.

"For this [mobile CPR kiosk] being here, especially with all of our pre-med students here, I feel like this is going to be amazing," Harris said. "Once you learn it, it's going to be like riding a bicycle. You're never going to unlearn it and you're going to do great."

Harris will spend the next three months serving as an ambassador for the kiosk, helping her fellow Rams gain the confidence to step in during an emergency.

The VCU stop is just one chapter of a much larger mission. Over the next three years, the mobile kiosk is scheduled to move to nine different locations across Central Virginia to ensure that more communities are equipped with emergency readiness skills.