MedicAlert & CFSI Showcase EMS Best Practices in Compendium Featuring Innovations of U.S. Fire Departments

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December 2011

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and the MedicAlert Foundation have published a collection of emergency medical services best practices from fire departments across the U.S. that participated in the 1st Annual Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Awards program. The Awards program recognizes fire departments that have implemented cutting-edge programs strengthening the quality of emergency medical services provided to local communities.

Featured in the best practices compendium are the award-winning submissions of the three fire departments presented with the 1st Annual Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award in April 2011. Each fire department included in this inaugural collection of best practices demonstrated ingenuity in pursuing improvements in the level of medical care delivered in an emergency.   

"Our goal in launching the Excellence Awards program is two-fold. We want to recognize and applaud the outstanding accomplishments of forward-thinking fire departments and we want to share these achievements with other fire departments around the country that are working to enhance EMS practices and programs," explained Bill Webb, Executive Director of CFSI.

"Each fire department shared innovative best practices that have had remarkable results in their communities," said Andrew B. Wigglesworth, President and Chief Executive Officer of MedicAlert Foundation. "By making these best practices available to fire departments around the country, we hope to help accelerate the process for implementing EMS advances." 

The 2011 Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Awards were given to three fire departments that showed leadership in establishing innovative programs and practices that have advanced the quality of emergency medical services within its communities. The Awards program honored fire departments in three categories – Volunteer, Combination and Career Fire Department. The 2011 award winners were Odessa (DE) Fire Company, Volunteer; Friendswood (TX) Volunteer Fire Department, Combination; and Northwest (Tucson, AZ) Fire/Rescue District, Career.

To learn more about the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Awards program, and to download the best practices compendium, visit www.medicalert.org/award.



Author:MedicAlert Foundation Press Release