A 36-year-old man who survived sudden cardiac arrest with the help of a new lifesaving technique developed in Arizona will speak to the media and thank first responders Tuesday in Phoenix.

Russell Vossbrink, a civilian Department of Public Safety employee, suddenly collapsed while at the DPS Crime Lab on March 24. His heart - and breathing - stopped.

After two DPS security officers placed an automatic defibrillator (AED) on the victim, Phoenix Fire Department crews began using Cardiocerebral Resuscitation or "CCR," a cutting edge alternative to standard paramedic resuscitation developed at The University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center.

Vossbrink is alive today. Many are not so lucky – in 2004, the average survival of patients with out of hospital cardiac arrest was three percent in Arizona.

CCR is a new approach to out of hospital cardiac arrest for emergency medical service (EMS) personnel. A recent report in JAMA, one of the world’s foremost medical journals, showed survival rates following out of hospital cardiac arrest increased three-fold when emergency medical personnel used CCR, which focuses on continuous chest compressions and delays placement of a breathing tube. More than 2,000 EMS firefighters have been trained in the protocol.

Dr. Bentley Bobrow, Medical Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services' Bureau of EMS & Trauma System, will join first responders and Russell Vossbrink on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Phoenix Fire Station 10, 2731 N. 24th Drive, Apparatus Bay.