Fire department wins EMS Provider of the Year

For the past five years, one department stayed out of the race even as fire departments in Florida vied with each other for the department of health’s “EMS Provider of the Year Award.”

“Over the last five years, we were focused on meeting and exceeding the standards set by the state department’s EMS strategic plan in training, public education and innovative initiatives ,” said Juan Cardona, EMS Division chief of the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department. “We didn’t apply until we were ready.”

Cardona and Fire Chief Frank Babinec were among those present at the 27th annual Excellence in EMS Awards Ceremony in Orlando on July 11, when the department won the prestigious award. Days after the department received the award, another honor came its way, with Babinec being named the top fire chief in the state by the Florida Fire Chief’s Association.

“We consider ourselves innovators; we are risk takers,” said Cardona who took over as EMS Chief in June 2012. “We don’t followthe status quo. We have a really strong EMS division; our cardiac arrest revival rare is easily five times the state average.”

The department’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed. “I get phone calls, emails and letters from other fire departments, almost every day, from all over the country,” said Cardona. “They want to copy our models.”

The department has been proactive in taking steps to help prevent cancer in firefighters and in providing them mental health resources, said Cardona.

“In South Florida and elsewhere in the country, there has been many instances of firefighters committing suicide,” he said. “They deal with PTSD and cumulative stress. There is a pretty high divorce rate among firefighters. None of our firefighters have taken their own lives, and we want to keep it thatway.”

“This is the first time in the history of the department that we have received the award,” said Babinec. “The men and women in the department are very deserving of this award.”

“This is like the 17th time that the firedepartment is being recognized for something this year,” said Vice Mayor Dan Daley. “It is truly a banner year.”