The Florida Department of Health held its annual Excellence in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Awards on Thursday, July 18th. At its ceremony, Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue was named EMS Provider of the Year for the state of Florida.
The City of Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue department employs 5 stations staffed by 126 professionals who are highly skilled, highly trained, and dedicated to providing exceptional services to a community of approximately 55,000 residents.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to providing the most up to date training in emergency medical care to our staff and continue our efforts to educate and engage our residents”, said Fire Chief Keith Bryer. “We are honored to receive this award and be recognized on the state level, as it validates all of the amazing work that our crews have done over the years to provide our residents with emergency care that is second to none.”
Palm Beach Fire Rescue are leaders in EMS, providing evidence-based emergency care, public education, injury/illness prevention, and cutting-edge medical protocols. For the past four years Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue has received the American Heart Association’s Mission Lifeline Award and was the first agency in Palm Beach County to receive the Gold Plus award.
In 2018, the Department responded to 11,761 emergencies, 81% of which were EMS call types. Of notable mention, the Department’s statistics for the Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) exceeds the national and state average. In the state of Florida, an average of 17% of EMS patients are resuscitated. Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue’s three-year average is 36%.