DEARBORN – For the second year in a row, the Dearborn Fire Department was presented with the Gold “Mission: Lifeline” Emergency Medical Services Award and recognized for its extensive training and effective response to emergencies.

Administered by the American Heart Association, the award recognizes EMS workers who fulfill their vital duties of providing timely treatment for heart attack patients.

The prestigious designation also highlights the Dearborn Fire Department as an EMS agency committed to specific quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks known as STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction).

“It is an amazing achievement by the men and women of the Dearborn Fire Department to have received this designation for the second year,” Fire Chief Joseph Murray said. “This is a meaningful recognition that on a daily basis, they recognize STEMI patients in the field and expertly treat them and expedite their arrival into the cardiac units for intensive care.”

The Dearborn Fire Department received the award after exceeding standards for its personnel’s education in STEMI identification, compliance with best-practice STEMI protocols and ability to rapidly identify a STEMI in the field.

The department was also commended for its quick coordination with area hospitals in order to take patients directly to Cardiac Catheterization Labs, greatly reducing the time a patient’s heart is exposed to restricted blood flow.

Chief Murray also commended EMS Battalion Chief Glen Owens and Assistant Chief Don Begeman for their efforts in the development of the program and the quality control measures they continue to monitor.

In addition to the 2017 and 2018 Gold Mission Lifeline Award, the department was recognized with a Silver Mission Lifeline Award in 2016.

Almost 300,000 people suffer a STEMI each year. They are caused by a complete blockage of blood flow to the heart and require urgent treatment to prevent death. For more information about Mission: Lifeline, visit heart.org.