A pocket CPR  could be the difference between life and death in an emergency.

A little more than five years ago, Robert Schriever, a football and lacrosse referee literally dropped dead during a game.

"And I just blew the whistle," said Schriever, a sudden cardiac arrest survivor. "And took two and a half steps and down I went. That's all I remember."

An automated external defibrillator, or AED, saved his life and he is grateful for that.

But what if an AED is not readily available? A situation like this is where something like the pocket CPR could come in handy.

Simply turn on the device and it will coach you. If they're not getting air, you place the device on the person's chest and start performing CPR.

"It requires somewhere in excess of 75 pounds pressure to deliver good compressions and this device gives you that feedback," said Mark Totman from Bio-Detek.

This device is manufactured by Bio-Detek, a company has made electrodes for AED's and EKG's for years.

Dr. David Barash, an emergency room physician, was an advisor on this device. He realized the great need for making CPR convenient to do and for folks performing this lifesaving maneuver the right way.

"They don't do it hard enough and they don't do it fast enough," said Barash. "One, it gives someone the confidence that they can do CPR, it coaches them while they do CPR. And two is it actually monitors their CPR so they're doing it effectively."

Robert Schriever's sold on the device, and not only does he own a few himself, just in case, he also uses them when he trains young people in CPR.

"Especially with the girls because the girls for some reason are afraid they're gonna hurt the person," said Schriever. "So with this particular device I was able to convince them you have to press hard and I'm gonna show you how to do it and before long they were really doing the compressions like the guys were."

The pocket CPR device is especially beneficial in helping to save a life, as CPR is only likely to be effective if it is begun within six minutes after blood flow stops.