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San Mateo supervisors honor EMS and search-and-rescue volunteers; highlight county EMS performance
Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted proclamations recognizing Emergency Medical Services Week and National Search and Rescue Week after county EMS leaders outlined system performance, including more than 72,000 calls in 2025 and higher-than-average cardiac arrest survival rates.
San Mateo County’s Board of Supervisors on May 19 adopted proclamations recognizing Emergency Medical Services Week and National Search and Rescue Week, praising local first responders and volunteer teams for their roles in emergency care and rescues.
The board heard detailed performance numbers from Travis Cussman, director of the county Emergency Medical Services Agency. “This past year the EMS system responded to 72,000 plus calls for service,” Cussman said, adding that equates to “about 1 EMS call every 7 minutes.” He highlighted clinical benchmarks the county’s system exceeded, including a 62% survival rate for defibrillatable cardiac arrests and a median 84 minutes from first contact to definitive care for STEMI heart-attack patients.
Why it matters: Supervisors said strong EMS metrics reflect coordinated prehospital care across county providers and hospitals. Cussman also cited the county’s mobile stroke unit, telling the board the median time from hospital arrival to clot‑busting medication is 35 minutes and drops to 27 minutes with mobile‑unit involvement — well under the national guideline.
The meeting also recognized San Mateo County’s search‑and‑rescue volunteers. Sheriff Bender and Vice President Mueller described the volunteers’ search missions and thousands of donated hours; the sheriff’s office reported nearly 50,000 volunteer hours and more than 200 missions in 2025.
Board action and next steps: The board voted unanimously to adopt both proclamations and took photos with assembled first‑responder leaders. Supervisors asked staff to continue updates on EMS system performance and to return with additional detail on county programs that support first responders and volunteers.
