No testing violations noted in 2017.
The American Heart Association has awarded the 2018 Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Award to Killeen Fire Department for a second consecutive year. The national recognition is bestowed on departments providing the highest quality of care in the emergency treatment of cardiac arrest patients.
“Killeen Fire Department is dedicated to providing the highest level of care to our citizens and is especially proud to be able to offer award-winning care to acute coronary syndrome patients,” said Fire Chief Brian Brank. “We are pleased to be recognized for our dedication and achievement in emergency medical service for cardiac events.”
Killeen earned the award based on its level of emergency care including response time to scenes, transport time to hospitals, treatment of severe heart episodes and equipment and skills administered by personnel. Killeen’s advance coordination and notification protocols with area hospitals were also qualifying factors.
2018 marks the second year Killeen Fire Department has achieved the Gold Award. The department received the Silver Award in 2016 and the Bronze Award in 2015.
Agencies earn Gold recognition for achieving 75% or higher adherence for 24 months on all Mission: Lifeline EMS quality measures to improve the quality of care for ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) patients.
Killeen Fire Department responded to 16,795 EMS calls for service in 2016, 1,264 of which were cardiac-related. The department has 183 certified EMS personnel operating ambulances from each of its eight stations.
About Mission: Lifeline: The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for acute coronary syndrome patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.