About HeartSafe

HeartSafe Clear Creek County is a community initiative dedicated to reducing preventable death from sudden cardiac arrest across Clear Creek County, Colorado. Our goal is to ensure that a meaningful percentage of county residents are trained in CPR and AED use — enough that bystander intervention is available in virtually any public emergency.

Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. In rural and mountain communities like ours, the time between a cardiac event and the arrival of professional emergency services can be life-defining. Studies consistently show that bystander CPR can double or triple a victim's chance of survival. Yet in most communities, fewer than 20% of adults are trained to act.

HeartSafe is working to change that in Clear Creek County. By partnering with local governments, fire departments, recreation facilities, schools, and civic organizations, we coordinate free and low-cost CPR/AED training events, track community-wide training coverage by town, and provide transparent progress metrics toward our countywide preparedness target.

This platform supports those efforts by listing upcoming trainings across the county, giving trained residents a way to log and verify their certification, and giving the public visibility into how prepared our community is — and how far we still have to go.

Why This Matters

Watch this short video to learn the fundamentals of CPR and how to respond effectively in a cardiac emergency.

Contributors

HeartSafe Clear Creek County is built on the dedication of local professionals, first responders, and community members who believe every life is worth fighting for.

Megan Hiler-Wilson

Public Information Officer · Clear Creek County

As the Public Information Officer for Clear Creek County, Megan Hiler-Wilson is driven by a deep commitment to the safety and well-being of her community. With a background in broadcast journalism, she views clear communication as a vital tool for connection, ensuring residents remain informed and supported during the moments that matter most.

Whether she is coordinating emergency alerts or championing digital accessibility, Megan's work is centered on the belief that a well-informed community is a resilient one. A bone marrow donor and regular blood donor, Megan is personally invested in the health and vitality of her neighbors.

Jesse Peros

Director of Facility Operations · Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District

Jesse's background combines public safety and facility management. For two years, he has served as the Director of Facility Operations at the Clear Creek Metropolitan Recreation District (CCMRD), overseeing aquatics, lifeguards, and facility maintenance. Concurrently, for three years, he has been an American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor, certifying new lifeguards, co-workers, and community members.

Before this, Jesse gained extensive experience in law enforcement and public service. He worked in Corrections for the State of Colorado, developing skills in crisis management and security, preceded by service as a Patrol Officer in Norfolk, Virginia. His law enforcement background provided valuable experience in community interaction, emergency response, and maintaining secure environments, all highly transferable to public facility management and patron safety. He is enthusiastic about expanding his duties to include the future Clear Creek County Sports Shooting Range.

Clarissa Boggs-Blake

Emergency Management Director · Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office & Volunteer Captain · Evergreen Fire/Rescue

Clarissa Boggs-Blake is an experienced emergency management and fire service professional based in Clear Creek County, Colorado. She serves as the Emergency Management Director for the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office and is a volunteer Captain with Evergreen Fire/Rescue. With over a decade in the fire service and extensive experience in public health preparedness and emergency management, Clarissa specializes in incident coordination, resource allocation and prioritization, response and recovery planning, and public information.

Clarissa is passionate about strengthening community resilience and is committed to helping Clear Creek County become a “Heartsafe” community — expanding access to lifesaving resources, improving cardiac emergency response, and empowering residents with the knowledge and tools to act when seconds matter.

Clark Church

Clinical Education Captain · Clear Creek EMS

Clark currently operates as the Clinical Education Captain for Clear Creek EMS. His EMS career started in 2009 at the age of 17 in Virginia. Since then he has worked in a combination of rural, urban, and austere environments. Clark began working at Clear Creek EMS in 2018 and has spent a considerable amount of time working with other members of CCEMS to improve outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest. He is excited to help lead this team and community to “Heartsafe” status and provide the residents of Clear Creek County with the necessary tools and structure to increase positive outcomes from cardiac arrest.

David Ruttinger & Kristie Pellitteri

David Ruttinger is the developer of HeartSafe CC, the digital platform and data infrastructure behind this initiative. In January 2026, his wife Kristie suffered a massive bilateral pulmonary embolism — her heart stopped for 18 minutes. David was there to begin CPR and call 911, and thanks to those uninterrupted compressions, Kristie survived with no major neurological damage. That experience became the direct inspiration for HeartSafe CC.

Kristie Pellitteri is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Ayurveda Health Counselor, and founder of Golden Ayurveda & Massage in Idaho Springs, Colorado. With over 20 years of experience blending classical Ayurvedic practices with modern therapeutic massage, sound healing, and bodywork, she is passionate about helping people live pain-free and resilient lives. Following her survival, both David and Kristie became certified CPR instructors, turning a deeply personal experience into a commitment to helping others be ready when it matters most.

Get Involved

Interested in partnering with HeartSafe, hosting a training event, or joining our board? Reach out to us at info@heartsafeclearcreek.org.