The International Association of Fire Chiefs and past award winners like The City of Dothan have encouraged members to apply for the 2025 Heart Safe Community Award.
PulsePoint Foundation sponsors this award, recognizing communities like Dothan provide lifesaving assistance. By supporting and recognizing exceptional efforts toward cardiac care by fire departments, PulsePoint aims to enhance cardiac response outcomes for small and large communities across the U.S.
The application period for 2025’s Heart Safe Award is open through March 7. A department must have demonstrated creative approaches to improving therapies for patients experiencing cardiac-related emergencies or sudden cardiac arrest to be eligible.
There are two award categories; small to mid-sized departments (serving populations under 100,000) and large departments (serving populations of over 100,000).
Applications must include a short description of the applying department’s community program for presentation at the Fire-Rescue Med (FRM) conference in May 2025.
The City of Dothan’s 2024 IAFC Heart Safe Community Award win was a recognition that highlighted the city’s commitment to improving cardiac emergency response and preparedness, benefiting residents and first responders. The City of Dothan is a PulsePoint-connected community.
The Dothan Fire Department played a pivotal role in securing this award through its continuous efforts to ensure fast, effective medical intervention in cardiac arrest cases.
By providing widespread access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and offering CPR training for community members, the fire department has elevated the city’s ability to respond to heart-related emergencies.
Winning the Heart Safe Community Award signifies a greater public awareness of heart health, improves training for first responders and provides quicker access to emergency medical care. With AEDs placed in strategic public areas, residents now have the tools to act quickly during a crisis.
This recognition also positioned Dothan as a model for other cities aiming to improve their emergency response systems. More than just an award, it represents the collaborative effort of local organizations, medical professionals and residents working together to save lives.
The application period for 2025’s Heart Safe Award is open until March 7. The IAFC has spoken on last years winner, The City of Dothan and why a potential win is so important.
A department must have demonstrated creative approaches to improving therapies for patients experiencing cardiac-related emergencies or sudden cardiac arrest to be eligible,
