Leon County EMS Exceeds Highest National Standards of Service

Leon County EMS Exceeds Highest National Standards of Service

For the fourth consecutive time, the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) met to confer another three-year accreditation to Leon County Emergency Medical Services (LCEMS). The top industry accreditation recognizes LCEMS for exceeding strict national standards of excellence. 

"At Leon County, our highest priority is protecting public safety," said Leon County Commission Chairman Jimbo Jackson. "CAAS reaccreditation confirms we are providing the gold standard of care for the ambulance industry in our efforts to create a place where people are healthy, safe, and connected to their community." 

To receive reaccreditation, the CAAS review process includes a comprehensive application and an onsite review by national experts in emergency medical services. Through the review, experts confirmed that LCEMS adheres to the highest standards of patient care, organizational performance, and customer satisfaction. 

"National accreditation recognizes our hardworking paramedics and command staff who work year-round exceeding stringent national requirements because that's what our citizens expect," said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. "With this accreditation, our community can be confident that on any of the 40,000 plus calls for help a year that we respond to, our patients are receiving the highest standard of care." 

In 2010, Leon County EMS became Florida's first government-operated EMS to meet the rigorous CAAS standards and receive accreditation. To date, only 16 other agencies in Florida have achieved the CAAS standards. Through the County's commitment to these rigorous standards and other professional benchmarks, Leon County is proud to have a 41 percent cardiac survival rate, which is significantly higher than the national average of 18 percent.

 "Any agency can claim that it’s delivering quality service, but an accredited agency like LCEMS has to prove it," said Leon County EMS Chief Chad Abrams. "CAAS accreditation underscores our commitment to serving our citizens best when they need us most."

 CAAS was formed in 1990 as a not-for-profit to be a standard bearer for medical transportation systems. 187 agencies nationwide have received CAAS accreditation.

 For more information, contact Chad Abrams, Chief of Emergency Medical Services, at (850) 606-2100 / AbramsC@LeonCountyFL.gov or Mathieu Cavell, Leon County Community and Media Relations, at (850) 606-5300 / CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov.

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