Anchorage, Alaska Wins 2025 PulsePoint AED Contest

Anchorage Fire Department receives five ZOLL® AED 3 Defibrillators and a SaveStation Cabinet to place in the community.

Pleasanton, Calif. (November 25, 2025)—The PulsePoint Foundation, a public non-profit 501(c)(3), announced that the Anchorage Fire Department has won the 2025 PulsePoint AED Contest, winning five ZOLL® AED 3 defibrillators and a SaveStation outdoor cabinet providing the first 24/7-accessible ZOLL AED placed in the community.

The contest took place during the month of October, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, and was eligible to any community using PulsePoint AED to locate and register AEDs. The Anchorage Fire Department collectively registered 132 at locations throughout the greater Anchorage area.

The newly registered AEDs are part of the free and universally accessible National Emergency AED Registry (NEAR), hosted by PulsePoint. The AEDs in the registry have been vetted by public safety personnel so their location is available to emergency responders and 9-1-1 telecommunicators during cardiac emergencies. View this map to see all vetted AEDs registered through PulsePoint AED in the area. To register additional AEDs download the free PulsePoint AED app or register them online at AED.new.

“We have a superb 911 and emergency medical system in Anchorage. We can save even more lives with the public’s help,” said Chief Douglas Schrage of the Anchorage Fire Department. “The keys to improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest are hands-only CPR and AEDs before the fire department arrives. PulsePoint gives us the tools to connect those who need CPR with those who can provide it and find the nearest AED. Thanks to our community winning the contest, even more AED resources are in the Anchorage area to help save lives.”

“Sudden death from cardiac arrest can strike anyone of any age. In many cases it is totally reversible with survivors experiencing complete and speedy recoveries,” said Dr. Michael Levy of the Anchorage Fire Department. “The best outcomes are far more likely when bystanders provide immediate CPR and use an AED when that is available.  Communities using applications such as PulsePoint can provide the crucial “just-in-time” bridge to EMS response, even if they are untrained in CPR. It takes a community to save a life.”

Why Cataloging AED Locations is Crucial
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur annually in the U.S. making it a leading cause of death. Survival rates nationally for sudden cardiac arrest are less than 10 percent. However, cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from a publicly-available AED administered by a bystander prior to EMS arrival have 2-3 times better odds of survival to hospital discharge and more favorable outcomes. Without bystander AED use, 70 percent of cardiac arrest patients either die or survive with impaired brain function. Despite the life-saving potential of AEDs, they are of no value if they cannot be located and placed into service during a cardiac emergency.

About the PulsePoint Foundation
PulsePoint is a public 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that builds applications for use by public safety agencies to increase community awareness during critical events. The PulsePoint Respond mobile app notifies trained individuals of the nearby need for CPR and the PulsePoint AED registry identifies AED (automated external defibrillator) locations for use by the public and 9-1-1 telecommunicators during emergency call taking. PulsePoint also provides specialized mobile apps for professional responders. Learn more at pulsepoint.org. The free app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.

About the Anchorage Fire Department 
The Anchorage Fire Department is an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 public safety department responsible for providing all hazards prevention, education, and emergency response to the citizens and visitors of Anchorage. AFD paramedics, firefighters, inspectors, dispatchers, and all support personnel work tirelessly to serve our community before, during, and after an emergency. AFD strives to be the very best in our craft serving as leaders in innovation and modeling stewardship to communities across Alaska and the United States. AFD is grateful to PulsePoint for its partnership.

Media Contacts
Megan Peters
(907) 227-9473
megan.a.peters@anchorageak.gov

Shannon Smith, PulsePoint Foundation
(773) 339-7513
shannon@pulsepoint.org