Stamford Hospital held a news conference Tuesday to announce that it has teamed up with the American Heart Association to launch a new CPR campaign to train and educate southwestern Connecticut residents.

The Stamford Government Center issued a message Tuesday, asking residents to learn CPR to prepare for emergency situations. According to experts, CPR has gotten easier since it now solely entails rapid chest compressions, rather than administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Doctors say CPR is crucial to saving the lives of those in cardiac arrest.

At the news conference, hospital officials detailed the new Hands for Life program, while doctors and EMTs encouraged people to learn the hands-only, ?bystander CPR.?

?It?s quick and easy,? says Chanda Brodnax-Nino, manager of the Stamford Hospital EMS Institute. ?Find the center of the chest between the nipples and you just press hard and fast on the chest to the music of ?Stayin? Alive? by the Bee Gees. You just keep going until 911 arrives.?

Information from Stamford HospitalInformation from American Heart AssociationInformation from American Red Cross