Fayetteville State University is strengthening its role as a regional leader in campus safety and public health with a major CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training event on Feb. 25, 2026. Taking place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Rudolph Jones Student Center, the event is designed to equip students, faculty, staff and campus visitors with the skills and confidence to respond in critical moments following a cardiac emergency.

The training coincides with World CPR Day and caps a broad, campus-wide effort to modernize FSU’s emergency preparedness infrastructure. This event is also part of the RACE-CARS Trial: a seven-year research initiative led by Duke Clinical Research Institute. On Feb. 25, 79% of North Carolina counties, including Cumberland County, are coordinating to train 30,000 people in a single day – potentially setting a world record.

Over the past year, the university has deployed more than 70 Avive Connect AEDs across campus as part of a comprehensive cardiac safety initiative. Although AEDs have long been required in state buildings and have been present at FSU for years, university leaders recognized the need to upgrade to smarter, more user-friendly devices that support both rapid response and better program management.

The new AEDs offer a range of advanced features intended to remove barriers to action in an emergency. Each unit provides clear audio and visual, step-by-step instructions, with guidance available in both English and Spanish. The devices are designed for use on both adults and children – an essential capability for a campus that regularly welcomes minors through camps, a daycare program and two early college high schools. This flexibility helps ensure that anyone on campus, regardless of age, has access to appropriate life-saving support.

In addition to their intuitive design, the Avive Connect units are integrated into a connected safety system. When activated, they can automatically alert 911 and share real-time location data, helping emergency responders reach a victim faster. Remote monitoring allows the university to track battery life, readiness and utilization centrally, assuring that each AED is available and functional when needed. The devices also generate reports every time they are used, giving FSU better visibility into how and where they are deployed.

The Feb. 25 event brings these technological upgrades directly to the people who may one day rely on them. The training is open to anyone on campus who wishes to participate. Some departments have already assigned students, staff and faculty to attend or assist as trainers, while visitors and community members on campus that day are welcome to join in as well. FSU nursing students will play a key role in leading hands-on sessions, demonstrating how to operate the new AEDs and walking participants through fundamental CPR skills.

Attendees can expect to learn how to recognize a potential cardiac event, locate AEDs in academic buildings and residence halls and use the devices effectively under pressure. While the event will not provide full CPR certification on the spot, participants will have the opportunity to sign up for certification courses, building on the introductory training they receive. The primary goal is to ensure that bystanders feel prepared to act quickly and decisively in those first few minutes that so often determine the outcome of a sudden cardiac arrest.

For Fayetteville State University, this work carries particular significance as an HBCU. By investing in state-of-the-art AED technology, delivering campus-wide training, and improving readiness, FSU is contributing to efforts to reduce disparities in cardiac arrest outcomes that disproportionately affect Black communities. The initiative positions the university as part of a growing movement among HBCUs to lead on public health and emergency preparedness.

As the campus gathers on Feb. 25, the event will represent more than a training session. It will be a visible expression of FSU’s message that every life on campus matters, that preparation is essential and that with the right tools and knowledge, ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference when every second counts.