Dearborn Fire Department receives Gold ‘Mission: Lifeline’ Award for third year in a row

Recognition from American Heart Association honors EMS efforts in providing outstanding patient careFirerescueambulance

The Dearborn Fire Department has once again been presented with the prestigious “Mission: Lifeline” Gold Emergency Medical Services Award, this time with an added distinction known as Gold Plus. This award recognizes the Fire Department’s extensive training and effective response to medical emergencies.

This is the third year the Dearborn Fire Department has earned the Gold designation, having received it in 2017 and 2018. In 2016, the department earned the Silver “Mission: Lifeline” recognition.  

The award, granted by the American Heart Association, acknowledges EMS workers who fulfill their duties of providing timely treatment for heart attack patients. This year the department earned the “Gold Plus” designation, meaning that they met high requirements in patient resuscitation.

 “I’m very proud of our men and women out in the field that are providing this great care, along with our hospital partners, to ensure the best outcome for our patients,” said Fire Chief Joseph Murray.

The award also emphasizes that the Dearborn Fire Department is an EMS agency committed to specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks known as ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

 Every year, over 250,000 people suffer a STEMI. They are caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart and require timely treatment to prevent death.

The Dearborn Fire Department earned the award after exceeding standards for its personnel’s education in STEMI identification, compliance with best practice STEMI protocols and the ability to rapidly identify a STEMI in the field, notify the medical center and trigger an early response from the awaiting hospital personnel.

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.