County Celebrates 20 Years of Providing
Lifesaving Care to the Community
Leon County EMS began responding to calls for service on December 31, 2003.
Leon County Emergency Medical Services (LCEMS) is proudly celebrating 20 years of providing exceptional, lifesaving care and treatment to the residents and visitors of Leon County as well as serving the community through training and public education programs. Since its launch on December 31, 2003, LCEMS has responded to more than 775,000 calls for service and transported more than 500,000 patients.
“Our community has–and will forever be–impacted by the invaluable contributions of Leon County EMS,” said Leon County Commission Chair Carolyn D. Cummings. “Their commitment to excellence and tireless service has saved countless lives and left an indelible mark on our community. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and dedication to keeping our community safe."
In addition to emergency care and treatment, LCEMS has implemented several innovative programs and initiatives to equip citizens with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to reduce injuries and increase survival rates. Through community programs and school visits, LCEMS continues to educate citizens on how to improve survivability through Stop the Bleed and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, trainings.
“We launched Leon County EMS 20 years ago with one goal: to be the best emergency medical services team in the entire nation. I am proud to say that through effort, training, and a commitment to excellence, we have proven to be among the best year after year,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long.
A leader in response and survival, LCEMS has continued to exceed local, state, and national benchmarks by providing clinically superior, cost-effective emergency medical services and transport. Notable achievements include:
- Named EMS Provider of the Year by the Florida Department of Health in 2010 and 2023, the only organization to receive the honor twice.
- Trained more than 16,000 residents in hands-only CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use, contributing to Leon County's impressive cardiac survival rate of 58%, which is significantly higher than the national average of 18%.
- In 20 years, led more than 4,000 classes and trainings at schools, businesses, and community events.
- Since 2010, hosted the national award-winning Press the Chest, a free annual CPR and AED training event for the community.
- Awarded the 2022 Capital Area Healthy Start Angel Award for advancing infant safety through free infant CPR classes for local families.
- Received the 2022 American Heart Association Gold Plus Mission: Lifeline Award for its commitment to exceptional care and treatment of patients experiencing ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a severe form of heart attacks, which ultimately saves lives. LCEMS was also awarded the Gold Plus Lifeline Award in 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018 and the Silver Mission: Lifeline Award in 2017 and 2016.
- Conferred a three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) for the fifth consecutive time. In 2010, Leon County EMS became Florida's first government-operated EMS to meet the rigorous CAAS standards and receive accreditation. To date, only 20 other agencies in Florida have achieved the CAAS standards.
- Recipient of the 2010 and 2018 Dick Ferneau Career EMS Service of the Year award from the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) and EMS World for advancements in EMS education and training and innovations in prehospital care and protocol.
- Received the Achievement Award for Press the Chest CPR & AED Training in 2014 from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The award program recognizes outstanding county government programs and practices across the nation.
In 2003, Leon County Government successfully transitioned emergency medical services from Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare to match the increased demand and provide improved response times and patient care to the community. Nineteen EMS medics and staff from the original team that started responding to calls on December 31, 2003, have continued to faithfully serve the people of Leon County for the last two decades.
“We are fortunate to have such a talented, dedicated, and compassionate group of medics and staff serving our community,” said Leon County EMS Chief Chad Abrams. “Each and every day, I am incredibly proud of their unwavering commitment to improving the lives and promoting the safety of Leon County residents and visitors.”
For more information, contact Sally Davis, Leon County EMS Community Engagement & Special Events Manager, at (850) 606-2100 / DavisSal@LeonCountyFL.gov or Leon County Community and Media Relations at (850) 606-5300 / CMR@LeonCountyFL.gov.
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