On October 17, we’re attempting something we’ve never done before.
October is an important month for anyone working in resuscitation and first aid.
Every year on October 16, World Restart a Heart Day brings organisations, trainers and communities around the world together around one simple message: more people should know how to respond when somebody suffers a cardiac arrest. ERC
This year, 4HelpVR wants to take that message one step further.
Why CPR?
Because the person standing next to you may be the most important person in the room when someone’s heart stops.
Immediate CPR and use of an AED can double or even triple a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest, yet fewer than half of people experiencing cardiac arrest receive the help they need from somebody nearby. www.heart.org
That’s exactly why World Restart a Heart exists.
The initiative began in Europe and has since developed into a global movement led by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and its member councils.
And its reach has become enormous.
According to the 2025 European Resuscitation Council Guidelines, World Restart a Heart activities trained more than 12.6 million people between 2018 and 2023, while CPR-awareness messaging reached approximately 570.7 million people. ERC
But there’s still another challenge:
How do we get even more people to practise?
That’s where VR enters the story
At 4HelpVR, we’ve spent years combining the knowledge of trainers, paramedics and safety professionals with immersive technology.
Instead of simply watching somebody demonstrate an emergency response, VR gives learners an opportunity to enter the situation themselves.
Recognise the emergency.
Make decisions.
Perform the actions.
Make mistakes.
Try again.
And build confidence before they’re ever confronted with the real thing.
That’s what we want people to experience on October 17.
More than 100 stations. One mission.
For our record attempt, we’re planning more than 100 VR training stations, allowing participants to experience CPR training through virtual reality on a scale we haven’t attempted before.
Imagine walking into a space and seeing person after person simultaneously learning how to respond to cardiac arrest — except instead of everyone simply watching the same demonstration, they’re actively participating inside an immersive scenario.
That’s the moment we’re working towards.
And holding the event immediately after World Restart a Heart Day is intentional.
The European Resuscitation Council describes the mission behind the initiative simply: making high-quality resuscitation available to everyone. ERC
Technology can help us explore new ways of getting there.
Can VR help scale CPR education?
We believe it can.
Not by replacing instructors.
Not by replacing CPR manikins.
And certainly not by replacing accredited practical training.
Instead, VR can become another tool available to instructors and organisations — particularly when they want learners to repeat scenarios, practise decision-making and experience emergency situations that are difficult to reproduce consistently in a classroom.
That’s ultimately what October 17 represents for us.
It’s an experiment in scale.
It’s a celebration of CPR education.
And yes…
we’re going for the record.
October 17, 2026
The day before, millions of people around the world will recognise World Restart a Heart Day.
The following day, we’re going to do our part.
100+ VR stations.
CPR training.
One shared experience.
One record attempt.
And hopefully, a lot more people walking away knowing what they could do when somebody’s life depends on them.
See you October 17.