ADA COUNTY, IDAHO

Ada County City Emergency System Services (ACCESS) have joined the RA as the first Lighthouse in Idaho. ACCESS is a joint powers agreement between Ada County Paramedics, Boise Fire, Meridian Fire, Eagle Fire, Kuna Fire, and Star-Middleton Fire Departments. They include 680 field providers, serving a population of about 519,000 people, and see over 300 cardiac arrests per year. The number of Utstein lives they save has steadily increased over the past few years, from 39 lives saved in 2021, to 47 lives saved in 2022, to 52 lives saved in 2023. Ada County serves as a champion for EMS throughout Idaho. Their superpower is that equipment, protocol, and practice changes are adopted after provider-level input, research by the HP-CPR committee, and final approval by the ACCESS Medical Directorate, ensuring system-wide field-level involvement in all they do. With an eye for continued improvement and system efficiency, BLS trains often, and ALS strives to be progressive with their protocols and equipment. ACCESS departments train together in-person quarterly while on duty, and all receive the same customized online EMS education. New ACCESS provider education is drawn from the strengths of each department in joint new hire training sessions to promote ACCESS cohesiveness and consistency. We are proud to stand with our friends in Idaho to create a world where no one dies from cardiac arrest.

"Positive change can be initiated at any level in the ACCESS system. If well researched, validated with frequency of occurrence and properly implemented with a training plan, our Medical Directors will hear and consider any change. We're all about improving patient outcomes."
- Steven Seoane, Ada County Paramedics Training Captain