Lincoln officials say the city’s emergency response for cardiac arrests stacks up much better than most cities across the country.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird praised Lincoln’s Fire and Rescue outcomes in a news conference Thursday afternoon, a part of national EMS Week. Gaylor Baird said Lincoln’s survival rate is getting better year by year – increasing from 17% to 20% from 2020 to 2021, which is now more than double the national average of 9%.
"It's worth noting that our residents are not only the recipients of life saving services, but also a meaningful part of delivering them," Gaylor Baird said. "Lincoln residents once again helped us achieve this relatively high survival rate."
Lincoln residents jump in to perform CPR well before fire and rescue crews arrive, according to the mayor, who added the city's hospitals and emergency response crews are also among the reasons Lincoln carries much better outcomes than the average city.
"It's really been the focus on the entire system of care that I think has set us apart," said Jason Kruger, the medical director for Lincoln Fire and Rescue.