Fire departments across Portage County are encouraging healthy habits in an effort to prevent cardiac arrests.
It's an initiative called "Keep the Heart Red," lasting through the month of February, similar to "Keep the Wreath Green" efforts that take place in December, encouraging people to prevent house fires.
For each cardiac arrest call the departments respond to, a red light bulb on a large heart mounted outside the station gets changed to black.
"In Portage County last year in the month of February, there were six cardiac arrests, which is six too many as far as we're concerned," said assistant EMS Chief Joe Genza for the Stevens Point Fire Department.
Stevens Point, Plover, and Amherst's departments are all taking part in the initiative this year, and each will have their own heart showing the county's progress.