CANFIELD — The Cardinal Joint Fire District received the 2023 Mission: Lifeline EMS Award from the American Heart Association for the fire department’s excellent response to heart attack and stroke calls.

The AHA award recognizes prehospital emergency agencies for their quality of care for heart attack and stroke patients.

“Arguably the most important link in the chains of survival for acute stroke and cardiovascular emergencies is emergency medical services and prehospital professionals,” said Dr. Edward Jauch, chair of the department of research at the University of North Carolina Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Center, in a letter to the fire district.

“Early condition identification, stabilization and prehospital interventions, and initiation of actions within the regional systems of care provide patients with the best chance for receiving expedient definitive therapies leading to optimal outcomes and maximize quality of life.”

Fire district Chief Don Hutchinson explained how the selections are made.

“It’s based on two things,” he said. “First, how fast we get a 12-point lead EKG to the hospital, and second, how fast we recognize a stroke.”

In 2022, during the Mahoning Valley Cluster Dog Show, a judge, Vernon Harvey, had to sit down, claiming he must have had low blood sugar. One woman attended to him while summoning the emergency medical first responders.

EMTs Austin Gebhardt, Michael Sofranko, Jenn Arendas and Scott Shaffer arrived shortly after 10 a.m. Aug. 7 and immediately went to work. They tested him and found his blood sugar level was around 300, which is very high. He was loaded onto a stretcher and placed into an ambulance.

“Our guys saw the sign of stroke, radioed ahead and got him to the hospital,” Hutchison said. “By the time his wife arrived from Pittsburgh, Vern was sitting up in bed and doing fine.”

He said with stroke, it is important to know the signs and take action. The fire district’s first responders did exactly what they had been trained to do, Hutchinson said.

The other criteria of rapid relaying of heart information was just as important as stroke recognition. Deputy Chief Matt Rarick said being able to send vital information quickly is important for a heart attack patient. The CJFD is able to send the emergency room a 12-lead EKG over the ambulance modem in under 10 minutes. By the time they arrive, the hospital will be prepared for the patient.

Both criteria were easily met by the fire district. In fact, the district met the criteria for the gold level award, but Rarick said that likely will come next year.

“Everyone has to go a year as a silver award winner before they qualify for the gold award,” Rarick said. “Next year, we can be gold.”

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