Detroit has officially been recognized as the largest municipality to receive the HEARTSafe Community designation, as reported by the Detroit Fire Department.
The achievement was announced by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Executive Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms, marking a significant milestone for the city’s commitment to cardiac health.
The HEARTSafe Community program, led by the Citizen CPR Foundation, aims to improve survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest through community preparedness and strategic health initiatives.
The Detroit Fire Department has been working towards this designation for many years, focusing on improving outcomes for cardiac arrest patients across the city.
Mayor Duggan praised the efforts: “Our team has been working behind the scenes for nearly twenty years, gathering data on cardiac arrest, building relationships, and working to improve outcomes.”
Detroit’s recognition as a HEARTSafe Community reflects the ongoing efforts to educate and train the public in lifesaving techniques, including CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Achieving the HEARTSafe Community designation requires a community to meet 13 specific criteria, including training at least 15% of the population annually in CPR and other lifesaving measures.
Detroit has exceeded these requirements, with over 100,000 residents trained in CPR in the past year alone.
The Detroit Fire Department, led by Medical Director Dr. Robert Dunne and Captain Jeffrey Forbes, has been instrumental in coordinating these efforts, alongside community partners like the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross.
Additionally, the city has implemented strategies to improve public awareness and encourage bystander intervention during cardiac emergencies.
More than 500 AEDs have been registered across Detroit, facilitated by the PulsePoint app, which residents can use to locate the nearest defibrillator during an emergency.
Commissioner Simms emphasized the importance of community involvement, stating: “Our residents deserve the best we can provide in terms of education and prevention, but we can’t do it alone.”
The Detroit Fire Department has partnered with numerous organizations to advance the city’s cardiac health initiatives.
These partnerships have extended to local hospitals, educational institutions, and major businesses like General Motors and Ford Field.
This collaborative effort has been essential in training residents, placing AEDs, and raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest.
Fifteen-year-old Gregory Pope III, who successfully performed CPR on his neighbor, serves as an example of the impact of these efforts.
He encouraged Detroiters to get trained in CPR, noting: “You just never know when you’re going to need it.”
The city’s goal is to continue expanding these initiatives to ensure that all residents have the knowledge and tools necessary to respond to cardiac emergencies effectively.
Looking ahead, Detroit plans to build on the momentum of its HEARTSafe Community designation by setting several ambitious goals.
These include training all City of Detroit employees in Hands-Only CPR, ensuring that every 8th-grade student receives CPR training, and increasing the number of AEDs available in public places.
The Detroit Fire Department will also continue to promote AED registration through the PulsePoint app and educate the community on the risks and prevention of sudden cardiac arrest.
Stuart Berger, MD, Board President of the Citizen CPR Foundation, commended Detroit for its achievements: “Leading up to this designation, Detroit has done impressive work in improving their system of care for sudden cardiac arrest.”
The city’s ongoing efforts will be crucial in maintaining its HEARTSafe status and further improving cardiac arrest outcomes.
Detroit has been recognized as the largest municipality to earn the HEARTSafe Community designation, reflecting years of dedicated efforts to improve cardiac health and survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest.
The Detroit Fire Department, under the leadership of Mayor Mike Duggan and Commissioner Chuck Simms, has trained over 100,000 residents in CPR and registered more than 500 AEDs across the city.
Moving forward, Detroit aims to continue expanding these initiatives, focusing on training, AED accessibility, and public awareness to maintain its HEARTSafe status and protect the health of its citizens.
