Group of six people, including law enforcement officers and a civilian, standing outdoors in front of police and sheriff vehicles, holding AED devices and carrying AED cases, in a parking lot with trees and buildings in the background.

Six Minutes to Live:

Santa Cruz

A partnership with purpose

Six Minutes to Live has expertise in education, engagement, and outreach.

The Santa Cruz Fire Department has operational capacity and a trusted presence in the community.

Together, we’re strengthening the community’s response to sudden cardiac arrest — one person at a time.

  • Increasing survival rates in the Santa Cruz community

  • Expanding access to education on hands-only CPR and the use of AEDs

  • Promoting placement and awareness of AEDs

  • Collecting and sharing data to evaluate progress

  • Strengthening the chain of survival

Read the Press Release
Illustration of a police or emergency emblem with a lighthouse, a heart with a lightning bolt, and a heartbeat line, with the text 'Six Minutes to Live Santa Cruz'.

Santa Cruz initiative aims to boost survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest

Read the story here

Upcoming Events

Thurs., April 23

Women’s Health Fair
Dignity Health Wellness Center
21340 East Cliff Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA

4:30-6:30 p.m.

Fri., March 27

Spring Student Health Fair
New Brighton Middle School
Capitola, CA
CPR Booth

1:30-4:00 p.m.

Thurs., April 16

Hearts in the Park Blood Drive
Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
Santa Cruz, CA
CPR Booth

10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Mon., April 20

CPR/AED Training for Scotts Valley High School students

8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Scotts Valley, CA

Wed., April 22

CPR/AED Training for Compass Real Estate, Capitola
Location TBD
10:00 a.m.
Capitola, CA

Sun., April 26

Julia’s Run for Children
Edgewood Park, New Haven, CT

8:00 a.m.

Sat., May 9

She.is.beautiful 5K & 10K
8:30 a.m.

Sat., March 21

Emergency Preparedness Fair @
SC Warriors Game, KP Arena
Santa Cruz, CA
CPR Booth

7 p.m.
Get Tickets

A man and a female sheriff in uniform stand in a meeting room. The man appears to be explaining emergency medical equipment on a table, including red AED cases and yellow defibrillators. The room has several tables and chairs, with a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall.

A Gift from the Heart

Adam Lang, Founder and President of the DP Foundation, and Hilary Gates, founder of Six Minutes to Live, joined the Santa Cruz Police Department and Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office to celebrate the donation of 10 AEDs.

Read the story
A smiling sheriff's deputy sitting in the driver's seat of a patrol vehicle, holding a red automatic external defibrillator (AED) with a heart symbol and call 911 label. Inside the vehicle are police equipment, a laptop, and a dashboard, with a background of palm trees and parked cars.

From Loss to Love

San Jose resident Jean-Christophe “JC” Deprez donated an AED to the Santa Cruz Police Department in honor of his late police officer cousin, Jerome Deprez.

Read the story

We’re training the community

to be ready

Race the Wave Preparedness Event

Winter on the Wharf

UCSC Cornucopia Student Fair

Race the Wave Preparedness Event Winter on the Wharf UCSC Cornucopia Student Fair

Are you interested in volunteering?

Whether you want to teach others CPR or rally support for community events, you are part of the mission.

Santa Cruz city event by the water featuring children and adults, some in rescue uniforms, table with rescue gear and helmets, and a few police officers in the background.
Two children practicing CPR on a training dummy outdoors, with one child performing chest compressions and the other observing.
A firefighter demonstrates an emergency medical device to children at an outdoor event by the water, with equipment and a small ATV in the background.
Two smiling people, a man and a woman, standing outdoors at a community event or race. The man is wearing a black cap, navy T-shirt, gray shorts, and is pushing a stroller. The woman has short hair, is wearing a purple T-shirt with a logo, and jeans. There are other people and a green tent in the background, with trees and a palm tree visible.
Person performing CPR on a mannequin outdoors during daytime training session.
Lifeguards and emergency responders perform CPR on a mannequin at an outdoor event, with tents, banners, and people observing.