The American Heart Association is telling everyone, simply giving chest compressions during emergencies is enough to save a life.

Madison has been using this method for the past 3 years, because of its amazing success rate.

"We saw some real improvement in cardiac resuccistation saves typically what we were seeing for a long time in CPR was rated at 20% weve more than doubled that at this point," said Lori Wirth, Madison Fire Department PIO.

It's these results that finally convinced the medical industry this should be the new protocol. It grabbed the attention of the former city of Madison's Fire Department medical director, Dr. Darren Bean, who made it a county-wide protocol, nicknamed "Call and Pump."

"We've seen people who've survived for many minutes after arrests," said Wirth.

The American Heart Association adopted this method last week, but there is a difference.

"The American Heart Association is still saying compression first, but later your going to have to do something with the airway," said Wirth.

The man who helped pioneer this method did not live to see it happen.

"Unfortunately we lost Dr. Bean in a helicopter crash in 2008. The legacy he left behind is that he trained all of our personnel," said Wirth.

The hope is for more bystanders to step in and save lives.

"A lot of people wonder are they doing the right thing. For us, we say anything is better than just standing by. But once you start those compressions you don't stop for any reason," said Wirth.

This new method should not be used on children when a child collapses. It is most likely an airway issue, and they need the heimlich maneuver.

If you would like to learn more about the new "hands-only" method of saving a life, follow this link: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/CPR_UCM_001118_SubHomePage.jsp