Our Mission

To save lives by establishing awareness, education and immediate access to Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) throughout the city and county of San Diego to SAVE LIVES!

Project Heart Beat has one main goal: to save lives through early defibrillation. San Diego Project Heart Beat's objective is to make Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) as accessible as fire extinguishers throughout our community.

Why the Program was Created

San Diego Project Heart Beat was created to increase the survival rates for victims of Sudden Cardiac Arrest throughout San Diego County. The program was designed to offer all public and private businesses and organizations every element possible to implement these life-saving programs affordably, easily and successfully. Offering the best quality assurance for their individual site programs.

The Inception of the Program and Initial Goal

Since November of 2001, San Diego Project Heart Beat has been helping to save lives throughout our San Diego communities. The programs initial goal was to place at least 250 AED units throughout the county by Super Bowl of January 2003. The goal was exceeded by nearly 550 AED units at that time. The program continues to multiply in its success. To date, we have helped to place more than 10,000 AEDs throughout the region.

The Programs Ultimate Goal

San Diego Project Heart Beats ultimate goal is to see that AEDs are as accessible as fire extinguishers throughout our county and state. Inevitably this will allow the greatest increase of survivability rates among Cardiac Arrest victims. Another goal is to see that every high school student in our State graduate with the experience of CPR/AED behind them to take with them in their future to help save lives. We hope that some day all of society will be able to simply recognize and easily respond to a Cardiac Arrest.

Proving These Programs Work

SDPHB has helped to prove that these life saving programs do work. One of our first programs to initiate a PAD program through San Diego Project Heart Beat was San Diego International Airport. Prior to their program their survival rates among Cardiac Arrest victims was the same as our county-wide average was just under 5%. Within the first year of their program they experienced four Sudden Cardiac Arrests on site. Three of those four victims were saved by the AEDs implemented into their PAD program for response. That is a 75% survival rate within their programs first year! Medical history right here in our own back yard!

Nationally Recognized

San Diego Project Heart Beat is a nationally and internationally recognized program. Awarded twice in 2009 for best large community PAD program by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association Award (SCAA) recipient for its organizational elements and it's success.

The San Diego Project Heart Beat program has set the standard for AED program management and has become a life-saving role model, helping other major cities and states throughout our nation initiate and imitate similar programs. (Miami FL., Nashville TN., Minneapolis, MN).