MedicAlert Foundation and the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) recognized the innovation and leadership of three fire departments with the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award at the 26th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner tonight at the Washington Hilton.
The honorees were the Memphis Fire Department (TN), Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue Services (MD), and Cullman County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments (AL).
In its fourth year, the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Awards program showcases fire departments which exhibit best practices and innovative solutions in the delivery of emergency medical services.
CFSI and MedicAlert Foundation established the awards program to promote innovative emergency medical services programs as examples for other fire departments around the country to consider embracing to enhance the services they provide within their communities.
The three fire departments – one career, one combination, and one volunteer – presented with the fourth Annual Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Awards are:
• Memphis Fire Department (Career): Implementation of LUCAS mechanical CPR devices in all 35 ambulances to improve their ROSC (Return of Spontaneous Circulation) rates for sudden cardiac arrest victims.
• Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue (Combination): Innovations created in order to improve cardiac care for residents, including: an education and feedback program to reduce DTB times for STEMI patients; an aggressive training program designed to improve neurologically intact survival for patients experiencing out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest; development of a Community Hands-Only CPR program; and the use of Glidescope Video Laryngoscope to reduce interruptions in CPR for sudden cardiac arrest patients.
• Cullman County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments (Volunteer): Rigorous Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) education and licensing pilot program designed to increase the number of Licensed EMRs throughout the county.
[Note: A summary noting the outstanding accomplishments of each winner follows]
“Fire Service-Based EMS continues to develop innovative approaches for providing the best level of emergency medical services in the country,” said CFSI President Bill Jenaway. “CFSI is proud to co-sponsor the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award Program with the MedicAlert Foundation to recognize those fire departments on the forefront in EMS delivery innovations – innovations necessitated by changing demands, new technology and budget considerations – all of which have impacted many jurisdictions across the nation.”
“These departments have displayed remarkable dedication to the communities they serve by implementing these innovations in order to ensure the top most quality of care during a medical crisis,” said Andrew B. Wigglesworth, President and Chief Executive Officer of MedicAlert Foundation. “We have continued to partner with CFSI to promote this excellence award in an effort to recognize departments who exhibit ingenuity that distinguish them from other fire-based EMS programs nationwide. Promoting these best practices as a resource for other first responder programs is crucial in furthering our overall shared missions of saving lives.”
Approximately 1,800 fire and emergency services leaders from across the nation attended the National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner and joined in paying tribute to the dedication and commitment of the nation’s fire and emergency services.
Hosted by CFSI, the annual Dinner benefits the mission of the nonprofit policy organization, which is designed to educate members of Congress about fire and life safety issues.
About Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI)
Established in 1989, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy institute that works with members of Congress in promoting fire and life safety issues. Working with other national fire service organizations, the Institute focuses its attention on issues that benefit all first responders.
Members of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, the largest caucus in Congress, look to CFSI for guidance and information to enhance their level of understanding about the challenges and needs of our nation’s fire and EMS communities.
For more information on CFSI, visit www.cfsi.org.
About MedicAlert Foundation
Established in 1956, the nonprofit charity MedicAlert Foundation pioneered the use of medical ID products and delivers the most dependable, responsive, and trusted Emergency Identification and Medical Information Network. MedicAlert provides the functionality of an e-health information exchange through an innovative combination of a unique patient identifier linked to a personal health record and a live 24/7 emergency response service.
MedicAlert Foundation International medical ID products alert emergency personnel to a member’s primary health conditions, medications or other critical information. In addition to its 24-hour emergency response service, MedicAlert Foundation International also provides family and caregiver notification so that members can be reunited with their loved ones.
Visit www.medicalert.org for more information.
