Escambia County EMS Achieves Successful State Inspection

Escambia County Emergency Medical Services is proud to announce that EMS has passed its state inspection from the Florida Department of Health, with FDOH inspectors finding EMS vehicles and service records to be "outstanding."

The site visit and inspection, which noted no deficiencies or discrepancies with Escambia County EMS, was conducted by the FDOH Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight on April 9 at Escambia County Public Safety.

Escambia County EMS met all inspection criteria, with the inspection covering numerous categories including:

• Employee training records and certifications
• Vehicle records and registrations
• Compliance with controlled substance medication storage, how medications are distributed for use by EMS and tracking of medication administration by EMS
• How EMS orders, stocks, distributes, and replaces medical equipment and supplies
• Random ambulances were selected for complete inventory inspection in compliance with state requirements
• Patient care records and storage of records
• Quality assurance and quality improvement measures with patient care and patient care reports
• Training and in-service records for all EMS employees
• Compliance with state requirements for medical direction

The representative from FDOH gave EMS glowing reviews following the inspection, noting that it was "truly a joy to see more of Escambia County EMS and speak with your team members" and that they are "proud to have you serving the local community."

"This successful inspection is a testament to our dedicated team at all levels of Escambia County EMS, who work diligently every day to ensure we are providing top-tier care and service to every patient we serve," Escambia County EMS Chief Chris Watts said. "I'm very proud of our employees and leadership team for their hard work and dedication, and we look forward to continuing to accomplish great things at Escambia County EMS."

Over the past several months, Escambia County EMS has made significant improvements in several areas, including more than quadrupling the success rate for getting a pulse back after cardiac arrest from approximately 9% to more than 40%. The significant increase in the success rate is a result of the implementation of updated resuscitation protocols, which have been implemented at all levels of Escambia County EMS.

"I'm incredibly proud of our EMS team for continuing to serve the citizens of Escambia County with professionalism every day," Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said. "Their dedication helps us maintain the highest level of service to our community, setting the gold standard for excellence in EMS service."