San Diego marked the 20th anniversary of Project Heart Beat, the Fire-Rescue Department program that promotes automated external defibrillators and sudden-cardiac-arrest training in public places.
The program helped organizations place equipment where bystanders could reach it before paramedics arrived. Training paired the devices with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and a clear call to emergency services.
Cardiac arrest turns minutes into the central measure of survival. Project Heart Beat's two-decade milestone reflected a public-health strategy built on making the first response possible before a professional crew reaches the scene.