Stratford achieves HEARTSafe Community – Again! 2018
April 2018
STRATFORD, CT – The Town of Stratford has met the renewal requirements of a designated HEARTSafe Community from the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the American Heart Association. “HEARTSafe Community” is a three year designation which recognizes Stratford’s continued commitment to providing improved cardiac response and care to residents and visitors utilizing the “Chain of Survival” concept. Recognition was first conferred to the town in 2012. The Town received it’s first re-designation in 2015.
There are four vital links to the “Chain of Survival”: early access to emergency care; early advanced care; early cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and early defibrillation.
Obtaining the re-designation as a HEARTSafe Community represents a true community effort of not just the vital police, emergency medical services and fire but also of various town departments, schools, businesses and individuals that provided training opportunities and purchased publicly located automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
The Re-Designation process reviewed the Town’s handling of the following areas:
- Ongoing CPR & AED Training
- Location of Town AED’s
- First Responder Designation (Stratford FD)
- Advanced Life Support Designation (Stratford EMS)
- Ongoing evaluation and improvement of the Chain of Survival
Stratford far exceeded the established standards to be a HEARTSafe Community previously and actually improved upon those requirements since then. Stratford EMS was and continues to be the primary steward of this designation on behalf of the town and has worked hard to ensure that the community is well trained and has access to AED’s.
Steve Hotchkiss of the CT Dept of Public Health and SEMS Director Michael Loiz
“Today, the citizens of Stratford are better prepared to witness the onset of a cardiac event and more likely to take appropriate action!” said Michael Loiz, Director of EMS for the Town of Stratford. “Maintenance of this important designation is a critical step in the Towns continued efforts to enhance public safety and provide the very best emergency medical care to the residents of the community.”
“I want to commend the achievements of our dedicated first responders and town departments, businesses and residents who have worked collectively to achieve the designation of Stratford as a HEARTSafe Community,” said Mayor Laura Hoydick. “Our combined dedication to maintaining training, preparation and delivering the best in emergency care when the need arises. I am very proud to see Stratford once again recognized by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the American Heart association as a HEARTSafe Community.”
AED / CPR – Success Story 2017:
