Carrollton Fire Rescue (CFR) was one of three finalists for the 2022 Municipal Award in Public Safety given by the Texas Municipal League (TML) at their Annual Conference and Exhibition on Wednesday, October 5.

Carrollton was recognized for its ongoing programming and public education efforts to address sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in the community.

“The City of Carrollton is honored for CFR’s SCA program to be recognized by TML and encourages everyone to get trained and help save a life,” said Rex Redden, Carrollton Executive Director of Public Safety.

CFR partners with local schools to provide CPR training to students with the help of Carrollton Citizens’ Fire Academy and City staff. Carrollton also implemented the PulsePoint app in partnership with the North Texas Emergency Communications Center (NTECC) regional dispatch center to notify trained citizens to respond to nearby alerts.  Delivery of CPR chest compressions can help sustain life until paramedics arrive by maintaining vital blood flow to the heart and brain.

“During a cardiac event, every second is crucial, so a community-based response is vital in giving the patient the best chances at survival,” CFR Chief Michael Thomson said.

The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately after SCA, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. AHA statistics indicate more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year, making it the leading cause of death in the United States.

TML’s Municipal Excellence Awards recognize and encourage the achievements of Texas cities in meeting the challenge of municipal governance. Innovative problem-solving, excellence in management, increasing citizen participation, and reaching toward higher service levels are all daily occurrences in Texas cities, and they deserve recognition. This awards program seeks out the best of these programs to honor.

Awards are given in two population categories (under 25,000 and over 25,000) and five areas, including management innovations, communication programs, city spirit, public safety, and public works. TML is a voluntary association of 1,174 Texas cities.

For more information about Carrollton’s continual public safety efforts, visit cityofcarrollton.com/fire or cityofcarrollton.com/police.