MADISON, Wis. --

Madison emergency personnel have a new protocol when it comes to cardiac response and care.

On Tuesday, the Madison Fire Department unveiled its new protocols, which call for cardiocerebral resuscitation or CCR instead of CPR in most cases, reported WISC-TV.

The process involves no mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing, as in traditional CPR. Instead, it uses continuous chest compressions at a rate of 100 per minute.

"If chest compressions are started in the first minute their survival probabilities are excellent," said Madison Fire Department medical director Dr. Darren Beam.

Beam is also a Medflight and emergency room physician at UW Hospital.

He said fewer than 30 percent of heat attack victims in Dane County receive CPR to bridge them until emergency crews arrive.

"Cardiac arrest survival rates have not changed locally or nationally in 20 years," said Beam.

Emergency personnel in Rock and Walworth counties have been using CCR as a primary means of cardiac treatment since 2004.

"It bridges not only the heart muscle, but the brain," said Beam.

"Nerve tissue is really intolerant of low blood-flow states," said Beam. "In three to four minutes you're suffering irreversible neurologic injury. Effective immediate chest compressions can bridge that for many, many minutes."

That bridge of time would allow emergency personnel to arrive on scene.

Rock and Walworth County authorities report a survivability rate of 40 percent over the traditional CPR method.

"We're talking about surviving to be discharged from the hospital," said Beam. "Walking out of the hospital, going to play with your kids, going back to work, paying taxes, basically resuming your life."

But he said the key is training the public.

They are advocating the public take a five-minute training course in case someone near you has a heart attack.

"First, call 911," said emergency physician Dr. Darren Beam. "Then start immediate ongoing chest compressions. If that happens in the first minute, their chances of survival are excellent. If it doesn't happen, their chances of survival are dismal."

Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz was on of the first lay-people to be trained in CCR on Tuesday.

The training came at his request after witnessing a heart attack firsthand during the annual Crazy Legs race in April 2007.