CUEMS relaunches free CPR certification program for Columbia students

Every Tuesday evening in Pupin Hall, echoes of “Are you okay? Are you okay?” ring through the fourth floor as students learning CPR slam both palms into the shoulders of plastic mannequins.

Columbia University Emergency Medical Service instructors, mostly students, lead a group of students in the two-hour CPR certification program, through which students learn how to conduct chest compressions and deliver rescue breaths through a specialized mask.

Over the course of the evening, groups of up to 12 participants learn how to respond to cardiac emergencies and choking in adults and infants at no cost. Students who complete the course receive an American Heart Association CPR certificate.

“CPR is a really important skill in general. Obviously, there’s a lot of different reasons why someone could go into cardiac arrest when they’re anywhere at any age,” Erin Su, BC ’27, a CUEMS student CPR instructor, said. “We have AEDs in place, but it’s very important that people know how to use them, or even to look for them, or even go to get them.”

Automated external defibrillators, which can be found in buildings across Columbia’s campuses, are portable medical devices that help restore normal heart rhythms for individuals experiencing cardiac arrest by delivering electric shocks.

Columbia Health, in conjunction with CUEMS, relaunched its free CPR program for students from the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses in March after a five-year hiatus due to the pandemic. The University’s public access defibrillation program, which supplies the AED kits across the campuses, funds the program.

The program now has 10 AHA-certified student instructors and, as of Monday, has certified 242 eligible Columbia affiliates since its reopening. Karen Nadeau, assistant director of emergency management for Columbia Health, noted that the program is in a pilot phase, with plans to expand access through future partnerships.

The student classes are free, but campus groups must request separate sessions outside the regular schedule and may be charged a fee depending on timing and location. Faculty and staff must pay for classes. While the program is not yet available for students at Teachers College, Union Theological Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, and Barnard, student groups can still request sessions through the Columbia Health website.

Although ambulances are abundant throughout New York City, every second following a cardiac arrest counts.

“Like we teach in the videos, survival rates drop by 10 percent every minute CPR is not performed,” Hanna Chen, CC ’27, a CUEMS instructor, told Spectator.

The average Fire Department of New York Emergency Medical Services response time for life-threatening medical emergencies in 2025 was 12.7 minutes, while CUEMS’ protocol requires its responders to be en route within four minutes.

“For us, it might be a little bit quicker, but those couple of minutes are very crucial to someone’s life or death,” Chen added. “Just getting CPR started is something that could really save someone’s life. And, the more people in a crowd who know it, the better.”

Training participants found the program to be insightful and interesting.

“I love that it was taught in person,” attendee Kanchi Dave, Climate ’27, SPS ’27, said.

“I thought the two facilitators were fantastic. They answered a bunch of my questions, which is awesome.”

After watching live instructor demonstrations, Chen said, participants practice each exercise in groups. From initial assessment of the mannequins to assessing the safety of their surroundings, calling for help, and assigning bystanders to find AEDs, students grew more confident as the course progressed.

“At the beginning, they’re very timid. They’re with a new group of people, people they’ve never met before, and then by the end, you guys saw it, they’re like, ‘Sir, are you okay, sir!’” Chen said. “They’re yelling it out loud, they’re yelling scene safety, they’re interacting with each other, they’re making friends.”

When asked about the most rewarding part of teaching the course, Chen said that seeing students connect with one another is most meaningful to her.

“I see them walk out talking to each other, and I’m like, ‘Wow, this is so awesome,’” Chen added. “Not only are they super excited about learning CPR, but they walked out having a good experience and feel comfortable applying it in real life.”

Gayle Gatchalian, director of communications for Columbia Health, noted that the CPR training plays a role in Columbia Health’s greater mission of strengthening the University’s community.

“In a way, CPR training is like bystander intervention,” she said. “It’s about empowering our community members, especially students, with the skills and the agency, and frankly, to feel empowered to support each other, to get help, to give help to others.”

James Davis, SoA ’28, who attended the class to renew his CPR certification, said the class is “extremely informative” for newcomers and a “fabulous refresher” for those with CPR experience.

“Ultimately, it’s good to be trained,” Davis added. “You hope and pray you never need it, but ultimately, at the end of the day, you want to make sure that you can confidently say, ‘Okay, I feel safe,’ and that, God forbid something happens, you’ve got somebody alongside you that can look out for you.”