Most who know me understand that I live and breathe EMS. It’s what makes me tick. That’s why I was excited in 2010 when the Congressional Fire Services Institute established the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award. It made perfect sense since we know what keeps our fire stations busiest: emergency medical calls. According to NFPA data, fire departments responded to more than 21 million medical calls in 2015.
A year ago, I was very pleased that CFSI awarded my department – Kittitas Valley (Wash.) Fire and Rescue – the CFSI/Masimo Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award. We received this honor for new initiatives we launched to address recurring problems at our local university and senior care facilities. The initiatives have proven to be very successful, which is why we felt they were worthy of consideration for the EMS award.
On May 5, 2016, two of my deputies from Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue stood before 1,500 state and national fire service leaders at the 28th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner to accept the award. It was a proud moment for my fire department and for our entire community.
I know from speaking with IAFC members all over the country that many of you deploy innovative emergency medical services in your community. If so, I encourage you to apply for the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award. If you have questions, give CFSI a call at 202-371-1277. The application deadline is February 17.
Posted by Chief John Sinclair, IAFC President and Chairman of the Board.