(La Porte, IN) - La Porte is the first city in Indiana to achieve a HEARTSafe Community designation.  

 

The La Porte HEARTSafe Community team decided to pursue this designation on the principle that lives can be saved with early access to care, early CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care among other accommodations.

 

HEARTSafe is a nationwide preparedness program to improve sudden cardiac arrest outcomes.

 

To become HEARTSafe, a community must meet requirements such as establishing a lead organization to guide and coordinate local efforts, developing and implementing strategies to improve public awareness and bystander intervention, permanently placing automated external defibrillators that can be quickly and reliably accessed, and recognizing rescuers for their lifesaving efforts.

 

Several partners helped La Porte meet those criteria, including the fire department, La Porte County E-911, La Porte County EMS, La Porte County Fire Chief Association, Northwest Health – La Porte, Play for Jake Foundation, and former Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL) Board Member Jane Nelson.

 

The Task Force was convened by the Health Foundation of La Porte.  

 

“It is a chance to recognize many of the great things this amazing community and our department are doing to improve heart health and the chances of survival in the event of a cardiac emergency,” said La Porte Fire Chief Andy Snyder.

 

One of the driving forces behind the effort was the death of La Porte High School student Jake West, whose genetic heart condition caused him to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest during football practice in 2013.

 

His death was the incentive for his mother, Julie West, to begin raising funds for providing free annual heart screening to students.  West, who is a member of the La Porte City Council, is also the founder of the Play for Jake Foundation, a fundraising arm for screenings and other heart-related efforts in the community.