Poudre Fire Authority (PFA), serving the City of Fort Collins, Timnath, Bellvue, LaPorte, and unincorporated Larimer County, has been designated a HEARTSafe Community through the Citizen CPR Foundation’s nationally recognized HEARTSafe Community initiative. The designation recognizes communities that demonstrate a coordinated, measurable, and sustainable commitment to improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest.

Serving more than 200,000 residents across approximately 230 square miles, PFA earned the designation through a comprehensive, collaborative effort that brings together emergency response, healthcare, education, government, philanthropy, and community organizations to strengthen every link in the cardiac arrest chain of survival.

The HEARTSafe Community designation recognizes excellence in key areas including bystander CPR education, public access defibrillation, emergency dispatch performance, responder readiness, clinical quality improvement, public awareness, and long-term sustainability.

PFA’s HEARTSafe initiative grew following participation in the Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit and has evolved into a highly integrated community effort involving partners including the City of Fort Collins, Colorado State University, UCHealth, Poudre School District, Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA), Fort Collins 911, and many additional community organizations.  

“Poudre Fire Authority exemplifies what a modern HEARTSafe Community should look like,” said Richard Shok, HEARTSafe Community Program Director. “This designation reflects far more than a strong emergency response system. It represents a community-wide commitment where public safety agencies, healthcare systems, schools, universities, dispatch professionals, policymakers, and citizens are working together toward a shared mission of improving survival and quality of life after sudden cardiac arrest. The breadth of collaboration and intentionality demonstrated here is truly impressive.”  

Did you do Bystander CPR?  

Heroes don't always wear badges.  Thank you for taking action when it mattered the most.  Your willingness to act in a critical moment exemplifies courage, compassion, and care for others.  On behalf of Poudre Fire Authority, we sincerely thank you for your actions.  

It is normal to experience stress, grief, or uncertainty after providing CPR.  Even trained first responders seek support after critical incidents.  Give yourself grace, connect with people you trust, practice self-care, and seek professional support if needed.  

For additional resources, visit casahearts.org or ourheartsight.com.