Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services is an award winning department:
- The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) Life Safety Initiaives Program Seal of Excellence Award for demonstrating a commitment to the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives. The Seal of Excellence is presented to individuals, groups, departments or organizations who have established outstanding efforts to making the American fire service safer.
- MedicAlert Foundation and the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) recognized HCDFRS for our recent innovations in emergency medical services (EMS).
- American Heart Association’s “Mission: Lifeline® EMS Silver Award” for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.
- Outstanding EMS Program Award from MIEMSS
- The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) with the Billy Goldfeder has honored HCDFRS with the Fire Service Organizational Safety Award. This award recognizes agencies that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment or significant contribution in the area of fire service health and safety.
- American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award 2017 - 2019 Programs that have achieved Bronze, Silver, and then Gold awards consecutively are eligible for “Gold Plus” status. The “Plus” grade is for EMS agencies that have achieved 75% of the STEMI ECG’s, (or electrocardiograms), within ten minutes of being by a patient’s side during the 2018 calendar year. When a patient suffers a STEMI, as identified by the ECG, that information is communicated to the receiving hospital to activate a cardiac team. HCDFRS was 89% on transmission of ECG within ten minutes of being at a patient’s side.