BINGHAMTON, NY — Binghamton University was recently awarded a HEARTSafe Campus accreditation from the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF), making Binghamton one of only five colleges and universities in the United States and Canada to achieve the accreditation.

The HEARTsafe Campus accreditation is a joint effort with the National Collegiate EMS Foundation and the American Heart Association to promote community awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, train community members in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and increase public access to defibrillation. A HEARTsafe Campus also ensures early access to advanced life support and engages in preventative cardiovascular healthcare activities.

"Binghamton University becoming a HEARTSafe campus means that the bar has been set, and in the years to come we will continue to be a leader in HEARTSafe Communities," said Brandon Azoulai, HEARTsafe coordinator and senior integrative neuroscience major.

In order to receive this certification, Binghamton University and Harpur’s Ferry Student Volunteer Ambulance Squad had to meet an extensive list of qualifications laid out by the National Collegiate EMS foundation. One of the projects created to meet these qualifications was an event organized by Harpur’s Ferry during which 1,100 students received CPR training. CPR certification courses have also been offered on campus throughout the year, resulting in 9 percent of the Binghamton University student body being trained in CPR.

Harpur’s Ferry is a collegiate EMS agency serving both the campus and surrounding area at the Advanced Life Support Level. Their vehicles are completely staffed by student and local volunteers. They will continue to support fellow collegiate EMS organizations in making their respective campuses HEARTSafe, especially within the SUNY system (Binghanton University is a SUNY campus). In addition, the Broome County Health Department, in partnership with the Susquehanna Regional EMS Council, recently released the Southern Tier HEARTSafe Community program, with which Harpur’s Ferry and Binghamton University have been integrally involved since its inception.

Azoulai and Harpur’s Ferry remind the community that in less than 30 minutes, anyone could learn the skills it takes to save a life.