Evergreen residents are in good hands with their local emergency medical services team. For the third year in a row, Evergreen Fire/Rescue was awarded the Mission Lifeline EMS Gold award from the American Heart Association.
“This is a fantastic emergency service award which is not easily met with the logistics and size of our district,” Assistant Chief Stacee Martin said. “We definitely are proud, and our community is very lucky to have such a skilled medical team.”
For residents, the award means EFR’s medical team provides “exceptional and timely care” to those suffering a heart attack, responses that can make the difference between life and death, said EMS Chief Dave Montesi.
“For someone that’s having a heart attack, you know you’re getting the most effective and timely treatment and transport to the hospital,” he said. “We have the best team anyone could ever have the opportunity to work with and are proud of all they do.”
The Mission Lifeline Gold award recognizes agencies that provide swift, accurate assessment and consistent, high-quality care for cardiac patients throughout the year. That includes recognizing when someone is having a heart attack, providing appropriate care, notifying the hospital in advance and getting them to the hospital quickly.
Timing matters
Notifying the hospital in advance that a heart attack patient is en route lets hospital staff prepare to treat the individual immediately.
“There are teams of people ready to go when we walk through the door with that heart attack,” Montesi said.
EFR has participated in Mission Lifeline annually since 2014, earning the Gold award four times. He credits the team’s recent three-year streak to its knowledge.
“I attribute it to training and very experienced paramedics,” Montesi said. “Our paramedics on average, have more than 20 years of experience. So beyond training, it’s that exceptional level of care our paramedics provide.”
Montesi said well-trained hospital staff are also key to winning the award.
“The hospital has a bit of a role in this also,” he said. “The patient has to go into the cath lab within a certain period of time, after the time the patient goes through their doors.”
The cath lab, or catheterization laboratory, is an examination room with diagnostic imaging equipment to visualize the arteries and chambers of the heart.
In total, to qualify for the Gold award, no more than 90 minutes can elapse from the time 911 gets the call until the patient is in the cath lab.
EFR sees between 10 and 15 heart attacks annually, with most patients transported to St. Anthony’s Hospital.
While many of EFR’s paramedics don’t live in the foothills, Montesi believes EFR attracts high-quality staff because of its location and work environment.
“Evergreen is an amazing place to live and work,” he said. “We provide a good environment and good, challenging calls. When you live this far from the hospital, it gives the paramedic the opportunity to treat their patients and see those effects on your patient.
“It’s a completely different set of challenges when you’re with your patient for half an hour or 45 minutes instead of 10 (as in the metro area).”