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Milton Fire Rescue reports higher cardiac-arrest survivability, expanded community paramedicine
Summary
Fire Chief Gabe Benmoussa told the Milton City Council the department’s Community Paramedicine program cut low-acuity 911 calls by about 85% and that cardiac-arrest survivability rose from 13% in 2023 to 33% in 2024; the presentation included response-time, call-volume and program‑cost data.
Fire Chief Gabe Benmoussa presented Milton Fire Rescue’s 2024 annual report to the Mayor and Council, citing improved medical outcomes and reduced low‑acuity 911 utilization.
Benmoussa said the department’s Milton Fire Cares community paramedicine program reduced low‑acuity calls by “over 85%,” up from about 66% in 2023. He said the CARes unit also responds to high‑acuity incidents and noted the unit’s “average response time … is about 2 minutes and 35 seconds.”
The chief highlighted a jump in cardiac‑arrest survivability, saying the rate rose from 13% in 2023 to 33% in 2024 — a “153 percent increase in survivability,” he said — and credited bystander CPR, equipment such as an auto‑pulse device, and aggressive care by paramedics and EMTs. Benmoussa said many survivals were the result of bystanders initiating CPR before responders’ arrival.
The department reported responding to about 3,500 calls in 2024, a modest decline from 2023, and that EMS calls represent roughly half of Milton’s volume (noting that nationwide averages are higher). Benmoussa said the community paramedicine program both reduced call volume and lowered operational costs by avoiding engine responses to low‑acuity incidents; he said an average paramedic/CARE response costs about $150 less than dispatching a fire engine.
Benmoussa described other program highlights: an expanded fall‑prevention effort for seniors, CPR/AED and “safe sitter” classes for youth, barn and EV‑charging safety initiatives, cross‑department emergency operations training, and an EV charging‑station fire protection ordinance Milton drafted and shared with other cities. He also reported the department maintained an ISO Class 2 rating and submitted its first formal accreditation report for 2025.
Council members asked clarifying questions during the presentation about whether the call totals were aggregate fire and rescue calls and how fire‑loss estimates were calculated; Benmoussa said loss and saved‑value estimates come from fire investigators working with insurance data. No formal council action was taken; the item was presented for information and questions.
