Heart Safe Communities

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at anytime, to anyone. And it's almost always fatal. Cardiovascular events, including cardiac arrest, are the second-leading cause of death in Minnesota, responsible for almost 18% of deaths.

In 2022, about 40% of Minnesota's heart disease deaths happened before arriving at a hospital, and many of those were caused by cardiac arrest.

The Minnesota Department of Health, the American Heart Association, the Minnesota Ambulance Association, the Minnesota Resuscitation Consortium, and others have partnered to promote Heart Safe Communities, an effort to prevent death from sudden cardiac arrest by:

• Increasing community and public awareness
• Placing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) wherever people live, work and play
• Educating the public on how to administer CPR

As of 2025, more than 1.7 million Minnesotans live or work in a Heart Safe Community.

Heart Safe Communities helps communities and organizations:

• Educate community members about sudden cardiac arrest and improving heart health
• Train people how to use AEDs and perform CPR

Heart Safe Designation

Heart Safe designation recognizes a community's efforts to prepare its staff and citizens to recognize when someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest and how to respond. Any municipality, county or organization in Minnesota can apply for the Heart Safe designation from the Minnesota Department of Health and American Heart Association.