Dane County Recognizes Emergency Medical Services Week

May 23, 2024
execmedia@danecounty.gov, 608-267-8823
County Executive, Emergency Management

Acting Dane County Executive Patrick Miles is recognizing the efforts of the highly trained individuals who work to serve their communities 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with prompt and effective emergency services. This recognition comes as communities across the country celebrate EMS Week and honor those in the chain of survival.

“Dane County is grateful for our EMS community. Our emergency dispatchers, fire, police, and medical service providers work around the clock to serve those in need and help save lives,” said acting Dane County Executive Patrick Miles. “We thank everyone involved in the chain of survival for their commitment to serve our community during EMS Week and throughout the year.”

2024 marks 47 years that Dane County EMS has provided vital public service. The division helps to coordinate, advise, and oversee local EMS programs within the county. The Dane County Public Safety Communications (911) Center has dispatchers who use a template of questions to determine the severity of an emergency medical situation and can then send appropriate help. Dane County Emergency Management helps coordinate a seamless network of emergency responders that team together, regardless of municipal boundaries, ensuring every day that those with the most critical emergencies receive the highest level of care.

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to all 23 EMS organizations in the county working together and serving Dane County residents,” said Dane County Department of Emergency Management Director Charles Tubbs. “Your work does not go unnoticed. Together, we have helped save lives and improve outcomes for those in need.”

In Dane County, data shows 46% of those who had cardiac arrest in which a bystander intervened and the heart had a rhythm that could be shocked survived in 2023. While not as high as the survival rate in 2022, Dane County’s survival rate for these patients remains 15% higher than the rest of Wisconsin.

Since Dane County started participating in the Cardiac Arrest Registry to enhance survival in August of 2016, local first responders have saved 328 people from sudden cardiac arrest. Dane County continues to see strong bystander CPR rates (achieving 58% in 2023) and an increase in public AED use from 12.3% in 2022 to 19.2% in 2023. This reaffirms Dane County’s efforts to expand its AED registry, which allows 911 call takers to direct callers to nearby AEDs, saving precious seconds to defibrillation when patients are in a shockable rhythm.

For reference, Wisconsin’s statewide bystander CPR rate was 43% in 2023. More cardiac arrests occurred at home (77%) than in 2022 (71%). Survival rates are historically lower in private residences, and highlights the importance of bystander CPR to provide these patients the best possible chance at a good outcome. In Dane County, survival rates among people who received CPR before responders arrived were twice as high compared to people who did not receive bystander CPR.