Salisbury Fire Department Earns National Heart Award
Salisbury, MD - The Salisbury Fire Department just received some well-deserved national recognition. The department has been honored with the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Achievement Award for its work treating patients with serious heart attacks and strokes.
The award focuses on care that starts before patients ever reach the hospital. EMS crews play a huge role in saving lives, often beginning treatment up to an hour earlier than if someone tried to drive themselves to the emergency room.
"We are proud to be recognized by the American Heart Association for our team's commitment to excellence and our shared mission to improve patient outcomes," the department said. "The Mission: Lifeline program enables us to apply best practices and clinical guidelines every day to give our patients the best possible chance of survival."
Mission: Lifeline® EMS is a national program that works to connect EMS agencies, emergency communications centers, and hospitals. The goal is simple: remove the delays that cost lives, from the moment someone calls 911 through their hospital stay and discharge.
The award doesn't just go to any department. Agencies have to meet specific program measures to qualify. Salisbury met those standards across the board.
Dr. Kacey Kronenfeld, Chair of the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline EMS Taskforce, put it plainly. "Arguably the most important link in the chain of survival for acute stroke and cardiovascular emergencies is emergency medical services and prehospital professionals. Early identification, stabilization, and coordination within regional systems of care give patients the best chance for rapid, definitive therapies and positive outcomes."
Mayor Randy Taylor also weighed in. "This recognition reflects the dedication and excellence of the Salisbury Fire Department. We are proud of our firefighters and EMS personnel for the lifesaving care they provide to our community every day."
For the people of Salisbury, this award is a reminder that when something goes wrong, help is already on the way and that help is among the best in the country.
