City, County mark American Heart Month with announcement to seek HEARTSafe Community designation
Mayor Malik D. Evans and County Executive Adam Bello announced during American Heart Month today that they have initiated the process for Rochester and Monroe County to achieve the national Citizen CPR Foundation’s HEARTSafe Community designation by creating a comprehensive, integrated community response to sudden cardiac arrest emergencies.
“Far too many people who experience sudden cardiac arrest die painful deaths while bystanders, co-workers, friends or even family members look on in terrified paralysis because they don’t recognize what’s happening or know what to do,” said Mayor Evans. “The HEARTSafe Community designation gives us a workable road map to improve our collective ability to respond to these emergency situations. As we mark American Heart Month in February, I am grateful for the partners who have agreed to join our efforts to achieve this designation and help our residents avoid the preventable tragedy of sudden cardiac arrest.”
“Countless people and families in our community have lost a loved one to cardiac arrest. The HEARTSafe Community designation signifies that our community is prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies, and is equipped with the knowledge, resources, and training needed to save lives. This is a testament to Monroe County and the City of Rochester’s collective commitment to public health and safety, and reflects the dedication of our first responders, local organizations, and residents to create a safer, more heart-conscious community for everyone,” said County Executive Bello.
“Building a HEARTSafe Community begins with compassion, awareness, and a shared commitment to the well-being of everyone,” said City Council Vice President LaShay D. Harris, who brought the idea of seeking the designation to Mayor Evans. “As we honor American Heart Month, let's put out a call to action to everyone in this community to ‘Learn CPR’. Together, we can create a Rochester and Monroe County where health, support, and life-saving knowledge are always within reach of being a HEARTSafe Community.”
Dubbed a “blueprint for survival,” the HEARTSafe Community designation outlines strategies for communities to minimize death and disability from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) emergencies by strengthening the “chain of survival,” from the initial 911 call through treatment and recovery.
To achieve the designation, a community must fulfill 13 criteria measures to gauge its integrated approach to SCA emergencies. These include conducting public awareness campaigns on heart health, recognizing and responding to SCA emergencies; training 15 percent of the community on CPR each year; strategically placing automated external defibrillators (AED) throughout the community; training 911 call center staff on telephone-guided CPR and AED lifesaving techniques; and establishing data collection and analysis procedures to measure and improve emergency response, medical treatment and recovery.
To earn the designation, communities notify the Citizen CPR Foundation of their intent to apply, which opens them to a nationwide network of resources to fulfill the criteria, assign a lead agency to assemble a core team of such stakeholders as medical and emergency-response agencies to fulfill the criteria measures, and conduct self-assessments and re-assessments to establish baselines and monitor progress of the criteria.
When meaningful and sustainable improvement on all 13 criteria has been established, communities can submit their application to be named a HEARTSafe Community.