Suffolk County’s emergency medical community gathered over the weekend to celebrate the life-saving achievements of first responders at the annual CPR Save Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Suffolk Regional Emergency Medical Services Council (REMSCO). The event recognized outstanding EMS professionals whose quick thinking, training, and courage helped save lives during cardiac emergencies across the region.
Suffolk Legislator Dominick Thorne was among those in attendance, expressing his admiration for the honorees. “I’m grateful that so many members of our Fire Rescue and EMS community joined us to honor these amazing first responders for their life-saving actions,” Thorne said. “People who have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest only have a 7% survival rate, but because of the training, preparedness, professionalism, and unparalleled bravery of our first responders, so many lives have been saved here in Suffolk County.”
Founded under New York State Public Health Law Article 30, the Suffolk Regional EMS Council (REMSCO) is a thirty-member body that brings together a diverse coalition of healthcare professionals, emergency responders, and community leaders. Recognized by the New York State Department of Health as a “best practice” in regional coordination, REMSCO plays a crucial role in managing emergency medical services across Suffolk County.
The council also leads public outreach and education efforts, such as the recently announced “REMSCO-REMAC Gold Medal CPR Award,” which aims to encourage widespread CPR training among Suffolk residents. The goal: increase bystander CPR rates and, ultimately, survival outcomes in cardiac emergencies.
Public meetings of REMSCO are held every other month at the Suffolk County EMS Division in Yaphank, with the next scheduled for July 8, 2025.
“Today we not only recognize excellence,” Thorne said, “we celebrate lives saved — and those who made that possible.”
For more information about REMSCO, awards, or CPR training initiatives, visit www.suffolkremsco.com.