Rancho Cucamonga, California – The Rancho Cucamonga Fire District (RCFD) has been designated a HEARTSafe Community through the Citizen CPR Foundation’s nationally recognized HEARTSafe Community program. The designation recognizes communities that demonstrate a coordinated, measurable, and sustainable commitment to improving survival rates from individuals suffering from sudden cardiac arrest.

Serving approximately 177,000 residents of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, RCFD earned the designation through a collaborative effort involving emergency responders, healthcare partners, schools, public safety agencies, local government, and community organizations working together to strengthen every link in the cardiac arrest chain of survival. The HEARTSafe Community designation recognizes excellence in areas including CPR education, public access to AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillator), emergency dispatch performance, first responder readiness, clinical quality improvement, public awareness, and long-term program sustainability.

“Rancho Cucamonga Fire District exemplifies what a modern HEARTSafe Community should look like. This designation reflects far more than a strong emergency response system. It represents a community-wide commitment where multiple community stakeholders are working together toward a shared mission of improving survival and quality of life after sudden cardiac arrest.”

— David Hiltz, HEARTSafe Community Senior Advisor, Citizen CPR Foundation

A cornerstone of RCFD’s success has been its commitment to community preparedness. During the most recent reporting period, the Fire District trained more than 46,000 residents in CPR and lifesaving skills—reaching more than 26% of the community and significantly exceeding HEARTSafe training benchmarks. Training opportunities are offered throughout the year through RCFD, schools, workplaces, community events, career fairs, and emergency preparedness programs.

RCFD has also expanded access to AEDs throughout the community through partnerships with local businesses, city facilities, and public safety agencies. Recently, AEDs have been placed in all San Bernardino County Sheriff patrol vehicles serving Rancho Cucamonga.

The Fire District’s emergency response system is further strengthened through its partnership with CONFIRE, whose accredited dispatch center provides telephone-guided CPR instructions and supports PulsePoint technology that alerts trained bystanders to nearby cardiac emergencies and AED locations.

In addition to public education and emergency response improvements, RCFD maintains a robust quality improvement program for its first responders focused on high-performance resuscitation, ongoing training, and comprehensive case review processes designed to continuously improve patient outcomes.

“During the HEARTSafe review, what stood out most was the depth of commitment at every level of this organization. Rancho Cucamonga has built a system that is both innovative and sustainable, creating a true community of lifesavers.”

— Richard Shok, HEARTSafe Program Director, Citizen CPR Foundation

“Achieving HEARTSafe designation reflects the extraordinary efforts of many organizations and individuals throughout our community. This work belongs to all of our partners—emergency responders, dispatchers, healthcare teams, educators, city leaders, and community members who understand that survival from cardiac arrest is everyone’s responsibility. We are honored by this recognition and committed to continuing to strengthen the systems of care that protect the people we serve.”

— Fire Chief Mike McCliman, Rancho Cucamonga Fire District

The HEARTSafe Community designation recognizes communities that demonstrate a measurable and enduring commitment to improving outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest through coordinated systems of care, widespread CPR and AED education, public engagement, and continuous quality improvement.

About the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District: Rancho Cucamonga is located approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, and is home to nearly 177,000 residents. The Rancho Cucamonga Fire District provides vital fire and life safety services to residents, visitors, and businesses in a 50 square mile area. Stay informed with Rancho Cucamonga Fire District activities by visiting www.RCFire.org and following on X (@RCFD_PIO) and on Facebook and Instagram.

About the Citizen CPR Foundation: The Citizen CPR Foundation is dedicated to saving lives from sudden cardiac arrest through community, professional, and citizen action. Its HEARTSafe Community program provides a proven framework for improving cardiac arrest preparedness, response, and survival outcomes nationwide. www.citizencpr.org

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