Quality EMS Services in Carrollton Through Partnerships, Training

Carrollton became the first U.S. community to employ an integrated resuscitation strategy in the fall of 2020. The goal was to advance the cardiac arrest response education, readiness, and competence of its emergency medical service (EMS) providers and improve the quality of emergency care for its residents by introducing innovative, digital CPR learning solutions.

To that end, Carrollton Fire Rescue (CFR) and the Carrollton Police Department (CPD) expanded its efforts by partnering with the North Texas Emergency Communications Center (NTECC) to launch the Resuscitation Quality Improvement^® (RQI^®) program, designed to help healthcare providers achieve, master, sustain, and deliver high-quality CPR - the cornerstone for cardiac arrest survival - through more frequent learning experiences. The RQI program is co-developed by the American Heart Association, the world's leading voluntary organization dedicated to a world of longer, healthier lives for all, and Laerdal Medical, one of the world leaders in medical simulation and resuscitation training.

"Carrollton has been working on its cardiac arrest survival program for many years," CFR Battalion Chief Brian Dickerson said. "CFR has progressive EMS and dispatch systems, trains City employees and thousands of citizens in CPR and AED use, and offers Hands-Only CPR classes to the community, to name a few."

Dickerson, who oversees CFR's CPR, AED, and First Aid training, went on to say RQI teaches the science behind delivering high-quality CPR more effectively and efficiently, and participation in the RQI program is truly making a difference in the agencies and the community. The City is very thankful for collaborating with the American Heart Association, Laerdal, and RQI Partners LLC in this lifesaving endeavor.

"Since January, community assistance RQI training saved the lives of two individuals who benefited from the quick response and action of family members, friends, and coworkers," Dickerson said. "With the help of NTECC's 9-1-1 dispatcher's guidance, on-site responders were able to administer Hands-Only CPR chest compressions until EMS providers arrived on the scene to assume care and provide advanced cardiac life support en route to a local hospital."

Even amid panic and confusion, Dickerson said the links in the chain of survival were initiated and executed effectively. Bystanders and EMS professionals and telecommunicators were equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide and deliver lifesaving instructions and care. The bystander response and CFR and NTECC's integrated adoption of these proven, digital CPR training solutions made the difference.

"During a cardiac event, every second is critical," Carrollton Fire Chief Michael Thomson said. "CFR partners with CPD, NTECC, and local businesses to improve the City's commitment to protecting the lives of our citizens. Those partnerships continue to make Carrollton one of the safest places to live, work, and play."

CFR has 174 uniformed firefighters and paramedics enrolled in the RQI program, and CPD has 200 officers participating in the RQI Responder program, which verifies CPR competence in Hands-Only CPR every six months. NTECC employs nearly 50, 9-1-1 telecommunicators enrolled in the RQI Telecommunicator CPR program to positively influence delivery of high-quality telephone CPR guidance to bystanders.

RQI is self-directed, simulation-based mastery learning and performance provided through cognitive and hands-on CPR quality improvement sessions that measure and verify competence. The program is rooted in a "low-dose, high-frequency" model requiring healthcare providers to complete course assignments in short sessions every quarter.

To learn more about CPR, AED, and First Aid training for citizens offered by Carrollton Fire Rescue, visit cityofcarrollton.com/fire.

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