The City of San Francisco held a government meeting on July 4, 2025, focusing on enhancing community health and emergency response initiatives. The agenda included discussions on a new CPR notification app, community outreach efforts, and strategies to improve emergency medical services (EMS).
The meeting began with a presentation on an innovative program aimed at increasing bystander CPR rates. The program features a free app that notifies registered users, who are trained in CPR, when a cardiac arrest occurs nearby. This initiative is designed to empower community members to respond quickly in emergencies, potentially improving survival rates. The app also provides information on the nearest automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), with approximately 800 AEDs registered across the city. Efforts are underway to acquire and distribute more AEDs, particularly in underserved areas.
The speaker highlighted the importance of timely CPR and AED use, noting that survival rates can increase significantly with prompt action. The goal is to raise the bystander CPR rate to the national average of 40 percent, which could lead to a 5 percent improvement in survival rates.
Community outreach is a key component of this initiative. The city plans to participate in monthly events to provide CPR training and information about AEDs. Recent activities included participation in a bicycle rodeo and stroke education events, targeting communities disproportionately affected by cardiac arrest.
Additionally, the meeting addressed the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the EMS workforce. The city is actively promoting EMS careers to students from diverse backgrounds, particularly through partnerships with local educational programs. This effort aims to create a workforce that reflects the community's diversity.
The meeting concluded with a call for continued support to reduce ambulance diversion rates and improve patient offloading times in emergency departments. The speaker emphasized the need for additional trauma capacity in the system, given that the city currently relies on a single trauma center.
Overall, the meeting underscored San Francisco's commitment to enhancing community health through innovative technology, outreach, and workforce diversity in emergency services.