Alachua County Fire Rescue has received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services for its compliance with national standards of excellence. Alachua County Fire Rescue is one of 190 ambulance services in the country to successfully complete the voluntary review process, which included completing a comprehensive application and on-site review by national experts in emergency medical services (EMS). With this achievement, Alachua County Fire Rescue became the 22nd ambulance service to be accredited in the state of Florida.
The Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services is a non-profit organization established to encourage and promote quality patient care in America’s medical transportation system. The primary focus of the Commission’s standard is high-quality patient care. This is accomplished by establishing national standards that address the delivery of patient care and the ambulance service’s total operation, and its relationships with other agencies, the general public, and the medical community. The Commission’s standards often exceed state or local licensing requirements.
Alachua County Fire Rescue Chief Harold Theus said, “The accreditation shows the public the commitment the Board of County Commissioners has in ensuring Fire Rescue services provide the highest quality of pre-hospital medical care and transport.” He continued, “Our staff has been key to making this process a success. Daily, our crews work diligently to make sure they are the best. It shows their commitment as public servants and professionals in a very challenging industry. The accreditation lets them know that they are the best of the best.”