Three Fire Departments Honored for Excellence in Emergency Medical Services by the Congressional Fire Services Institute and the MedicAlert Foundation

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and the MedicAlert Foundation recognized the innovation and leadership of three fire departments with the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award at the 26^th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner 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.”