By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
In a medical emergency, time is of the essence.
Medical advances have shown that the quicker a heart attack victim is treated, the better the outcome. As a result, the American Heart Association has begun a special recognition program – and two area volunteer squads earned honors.
The Burlington Area Rescue Squad and the Union Grove-Yorkville Fire Department were both recently honored by the heart association with Mission: Lifeline Bronze awards. The award acknowledges emergency medical service units nationwide that administer a certain level of care.
In order to be eligible, EMS providers must administer a 12-lead EKG, have a patient at an appropriate facility within 90 minutes and into treatment within 30 minutes after that for 75 percent of cases. The honored EMS unit has to meet all three measures for at least one quarter of a year and up to three.
Burlington and Union Grove were the only volunteer squads to receive the award in the state of Wisconsin. Only 13 squads in Wisconsin earned the award, and just 457 nationwide.
Both units work with Aurora Health Care, with Tony Lash serving as the EMS coordinator for both groups through Aurora. Dr. Steve Andrews is the emergency services medical control doctor for both groups as well.
Lash said about 70 percent of the EMS squads in the state are volunteer.
“We do the same things. We have to meet the same medical requirements,” Lash said. “You look at the list of the 13 squads, most of them are the big cities.”
The award has three different levels. As a first-time honoree, both departments are at the bronze level. A silver level award would be for two years in a row, and three and beyond earns the gold level.
Burlington EMS Chief Brian Zwiebel called the award “a great honor.”
“It shows that all the volunteer members of Burlington Rescue Squad are out in front of what the AHA is doing to help save lives,” he said.
Zwiebel’s second lieutenant, Jeff Koenen, added that while the department doesn’t actively seek out awards, it was nice to get this one.
“It helps validate what we’re doing,” Koenen said. “It means we’re meeting the same qualifications as the big-city departments, probably more so because there weren’t that many on the list.”
Tom Czerniak, the chief of Union Grove-Yorkville, was similarly pleased.
“As a chief, I’m extremely proud of our department,” Czerniak said. “I realize our people are extremely professional. They’re willing to go the extra mile.”
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