Santa Cruz, CA Announces Partnership with Six Minutes to Live
Santa Cruz, CA —Six Minutes to Live (6M2L), a national non-profit dedicated to reducing preventable deaths from sudden cardiac arrest, has joined forces with the Santa Cruz County Fire Chiefs Association (SCCFCA) to launch a community-wide effort to increase survival rates from one of America’s most urgent and solvable public health crises. The initiative is called “6M2L: SCZ” and its launch in the month of February honors American Heart Month, which began in 1964 as a national call to prioritize heart health.
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can happen to anyone at any time and is usually fatal without quick help. Victims have about six minutes to receive the essential treatment of CPR and defibrillation from an automated external defibrillator (AED). While fire and emergency medical services (EMS) respond promptly, it can take several minutes for them to arrive. Each minute that passes without CPR lowers the survival rate by 7% to 10%. Community members can make a significant impact during these critical minutes. Bystander CPR and the use of an AED greatly increase the chances of survival from SCA.
Founded by leaders in emergency medical services, journalism, and public policy, Six Minutes to Live combines evidence-based strategies with powerful community engagement. Its mission is simple yet profound: to care, measure, and act — building stronger chains of survival across the country.
Through this partnership, 6M2L and the SCCFCA, along with the Santa Cruz Police Department, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and the Emergency Medical Care Commission pledge to:
Deliver accessible bystander CPR and AED training across Santa Cruz
Promote awareness and placement of AEDs in public spaces
Engage the community in bystander readiness campaigns
Measure outcomes to improve local response and survival rates
“Santa Cruz is a community that cares deeply about health, safety, and equity,” said City of Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey. “By teaming up with Six Minutes to Live, we’re taking a major step toward ensuring that when sudden cardiac arrest strikes, our residents are ready to respond.”
Hilary Gates, Santa Cruz resident and co-founder of Six Minutes to Live, added: “Every year, tens of thousands of lives are lost to sudden cardiac arrest — lives that someone could have saved. Our collaboration with Santa Cruz is about turning awareness into action and creating a community full of citizens who are trained and confident to act when someone is in need.”
The initiative includes community training events, public awareness campaigns, and engagement opportunities for residents, schools, and local businesses.
