Kat Kennedy
(407) 832-3387 or kathleen.kennedy@ocfl.net

Orange County Fire Rescue Celebrates National EMS Week

ORLANDO, Fla. – May 18, 2015 – Orange County Fire Rescue is celebrating the exceptional work of its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team during National EMS Week, which runs May 17-23.

“A majority of Orange County Fire Rescue’s emergency responses are for medical-related calls,” said Fire Chief Otto Drozd III. “Our EMS crews responded to 86,896 emergencies during the last year and rendered life-saving aid to citizens and visitors of Orange County.”

As a part of National EMS Week, Orange County Fire Rescue will award its prestigious “Paramedic of the Year” and “EMT of the Year” honors. In addition, 41 firefighters will be recognized during the week as participating in the top 10 EMS calls of the year. These calls include variety of medical emergencies ranging from the birth of a child to code-saves, where patients with no vital signs were rehabilitated due to the rapid response and technical performance of the firefighters.

Unit Citations and Lifesaving Awards will also be distributed to crews for exemplary service.

“It is no exaggeration to say our firefighters save lives every day,” said Drozd. “I am proud to have such competent and hard-working individuals serving our community, and they deserve to be recognized for their dedication.”

Patients of several key EMS calls have been invited to visit the stations during the week to meet and express their thanks to the crews who changed their lives.

In addition to responding to medical emergencies, the department takes an active role in preventing illness and injury in our community. Residents can visit any one of its 41 fire stations to receive free blood pressure screenings and properly and safely dispose of medical sharps. The department also provides CPR classes and child safety seat inspections to the public.

About Orange County Fire Rescue
Orange County Fire Rescue is the largest fire and rescue department in Central Florida. It serves more than 924,000 citizens and visitors and responds to nearly 100,000 calls for service annually. The mission of the Orange County Fire and Rescue Department is to provide fire suppression, emergency medical and community risk reduction services to ensure our community can enjoy a high quality life and property protection delivered with compassion and integrity. Follow us on Twitter at @OCFireRescue.

About Orange County Government: Orange County Government strives to serve its residents and guests with integrity, honesty, fairness and professionalism. Located in Central Florida, Orange County includes 13 municipalities and is home to world-famous theme parks, one of the nation’s largest convention centers and a thriving life science research park. Seven elected members make up the Board of County Commissioners, including the Mayor, who is elected countywide. For more information, please visit www.OCFL.net or go to Orange County Government’s social media channels.

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