The Erlanger Fire/EMS Department has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks. The department is only one of seven in Kentucky to receive the award for its excellence in detecting and treating people suffering from ST Elevation Myocardial Infarctions (STEMI). “STEMI is one of the most serious types of heart attacks because that means that one of the heart’s major arteries is blocked,” said Fire/EMS Chief Todd Whitaker. “People suffering from this type of cardiac event require timely treatment and quick transportation to an appropriate medical facility to provide for the best possible outcome.” “The role of EMS personnel in the care for these patients in the earliest moments is crucial and often sets the course for the patient’s outcome,” Whitaker said.