Lee County has been officially designated a HEARTSafe Community by the Citizen CPR Foundation, recognizing a countywide commitment to improving survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest through strategic partnerships, education and community engagement.
This national distinction highlights the leadership of Lee County Public Safety in building a culture of cardiac preparedness through Heart Smart Lee County, a multi-agency initiative aimed at strengthening every link in the chain of survival. The HEARTSafe Community designation is awarded to municipalities that meet rigorous benchmarks in public access defibrillation, widespread CPR training, coordinated emergency response and public-awareness efforts. Lee County is the first county entity in Florida and the third county in the nation to receive this designation.
The designation reflects years of collaboration among our EMS providers, public health officials, schools, fire departments and hospitals. Heart Smart Lee County engages residents in a system that empowers bystanders, supports first responders and ultimately saves lives.
To earn the HEARTSafe designation, Lee County successfully met all 13 key criteria set by the Citizen CPR Foundation. These included establishing Lee County Public Safety as the lead agency to coordinate countywide efforts, training a meaningful percentage of the population in CPR each year and placing and registering Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in easily accessible public locations.
The county also ensured that 911 dispatchers are equipped to provide CPR instructions over the phone, implemented public education initiatives to help residents recognize and respond to cardiac arrest, and developed systems for data collection, citizen rescuer recognition and long-term program sustainability.
The Heart Smart Lee County initiative played a critical role in securing the HEARTSafe designation, spearheading efforts to bring CPR and AED training to schools, community centers, government offices and local organizations. A countywide policy now ensures that all public employees are trained in Hands-Only CPR, and students across Lee County schools receive CPR education before graduation.
Lee County promoted the Heart Smart initiative last summer during Lee County Public Safety’s “Summer of Safety” campaign, which partnered with other county departments such as Lee County Parks & Recreation. The Summer of Safety event highlighted AED use with a live demonstration, addressing a life-saving tool that remains underused during cardiac arrest. The goal was to empower the public with the knowledge and confidence to act when it matters most.
Jim Suozzi, DO, NRP, FACEP, a member of the Citizen CPR Foundation Program Advisory Committee who was involved in the peer review process, praised the achievement:
“Lee County’s application stood out for its comprehensive, grassroots approach,” said Suozzi. “They’ve woven cardiac preparedness into the fabric of the community—from first responders to area citizens of all ages. It’s a model other municipalities can learn from.”
The HEARTSafe Community designation not only honors current efforts but also positions Lee County as a leader in building a resilient, lifesaving infrastructure for the future.
“Communities like Lee County remind us that real change happens when leadership, education, and citizen action come together,” said Rich Shok, HEARTSafe Program Chair at the Citizen CPR Foundation. “This designation is more than symbolic — it reflects systems that will save lives today and for years to come.”
As a HEARTSafe Community, Lee County joins a growing national network dedicated to reducing deaths from sudden cardiac arrest through prevention, empowerment, and system-wide collaboration.
To watch a video about Lee County’s HeartSmart program, visit https://youtu.be/8WF_0K1fODU.
About the Citizen CPR Foundation
The mission of the Citizen CPR Foundation is to save lives from sudden cardiac arrest by stimulating effective community, professional and citizen action. This mission is put into action through three core values: We know that CPR and AED use saves lives. Collaboration among citizens, professionals, communities, and organizations is key to survival from cardiac arrest. Action based on best practices in science, education, and implementation improves outcomes. www.citizencpr.org
About Heart Smart Lee County
The mission of Heart Smart Lee County is to champion life-saving excellence in cardiac arrest care and resuscitation throughout Lee County and Southwest Florida. We are dedicated to transforming the quality of emergency response, healthcare systems and community education, with the shared goal of significantly increasing survival rates for cardiac arrest victims. More information regarding the program a full list of partners can be found at www.heartsmartlee.com.
