Kat Kennedy
(407) 832-3387 or kathleen.kennedy@ocfl.net

Orange County Fire Rescue Receives National Honor For Excellence In Fire-Based Emergency Medical Services

ORLANDO, Fla. – March 23, 2017 – Orange County Fire Rescue will be honored with the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award by the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) and Masimo, a global medical technology company, for best practices and innovative solutions in the delivery of emergency medical services. The award presentation will take place on April 6, 2017, at the 29th Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner in Washington, D.C. Orange County Fire Rescue will join Montgomery County (Md.) Fire and Rescue Service in receiving the award.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious national recognition for our EMS program,” said Orange County Fire Chief Otto Drozd III. “Through a concentrated focus on pre-hospital emergency care over the past several years, we are making a positive impact on firefighter and paramedic safety, resource deployment and enhancement of our fire service-based EMS services.”

Orange County Fire Rescue is being recognized for the implementation of two new programs: the Sepsis Alert Program and the Paramedic Preceptor Academy.

Working closely with the Office of the Medical Director, Orange County Fire Rescue launched the Sepsis Alert Program to identify and initiate pre-hospital treatment for severe sepsis patients. As a result, there were significant decreases in time to definitive care at the emergency department, reduction in ICU admits and reduced length of patient hospital stays.

The Paramedic Preceptor Academy was developed to increase pass rates for the department’s new paramedics as well as improve training and continuing education opportunities identified through the Quality Assurance process.

The Sepsis Alert Program in combination the Preceptor Academy have increased Orange County Fire Rescue’s pre-hospital knowledge base, giving its patients the best chance for survival. Both programs have produced positive results and have served as models for similar programs adopted by other fire departments within the state.

“CFSI takes great pride in co-sponsoring the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award with Masimo,” said CFSI President Bill Jenaway. “Through this award program, we can recognize important innovations in fire service-based emergency medical care – such as those implemented by our 2017 award recipients – and share those innovations with other fire departments seeking to enhance their own EMS systems.”

First presented in 2011, the Excellence in Fire Service-Based EMS Award has recognized fire departments from across the nation for developing and enhancing the delivery of emergency medical services to address the growing challenges in delivering emergency medical care. By showcasing these practices, the award program provides fire departments across the nation ideas for enhancing their own fire service-based EMS systems.

About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nation’s largest convention centers and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, who is elected countywide. For more information, please visit www.OCFL.net or go to Orange County Government’s social media channels.

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