FY2016 Arlington Fire Department Annual Report FY 2016 | Page 30

Highlights
Heart Safe Community Designation
The North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council
(NCTTRAC) designated Arlington as a Heart Safe Community,
recognizing the City’s commitment to increasing the chances of
residents surviving a sudden cardiac arrest. Arlington is the first
large city in Texas to receive this honor.
The Heart Safe program is a concept focused upon strengthening
the chain of survival as described by the American Heart
Association. The first Heart Safe program began in Massachusetts in 2002.
NCTTRAC has worked for the last two years to bring the program to Texas, establishing goals
that support the chain of survival. These include widespread CPR instruction, public access
defibrillators, and aggressive resuscitation protocols for first responders and area hospitals.
Community awareness and education also play an important role. When a city achieves these
goals, the municipality earns a heartbeat. If a city earns enough heartbeats based on their
population, they are eligible to be designated as a Heart Safe Community.
This recognition is valid for the next three years, at which time the City will resubmit
the application. It is the goal of the Arlington Fire Department for the City and its partners to
continue to set higher standards for combating heart disease and sudden cardiac death.
Random Acts of Kindness
In 2010, Arlington firefighters started a non-profit 501(c)(3) in
order to raise and distribute money to help those in need. The
non-profit, now called Arlington Fire Charitable Group (AFCG), is
used to support members of the community, as well as the
Department, who are in need. The members of AFCG select the
organization or individuals in need of assistance and provide
support, either monetarily or in the form of labor. The intention of the program is
to quickly respond to people in difficult situations, without the time-consuming
processes often required for more formal assistance programs. In FY 2016, RAK
received a donation from the Rotary Club of Arlington to help with expenditures
for those in need. RAK has built a strong relationship with Mission Arlington to
acquire items such as medical beds, walkers, fans,
bikes, and other items to help conserve funds and
provide greater RAK assistance. Recent Random
Acts of Kindness have included paying for
medications for people that could not afford them,
building wheelchair ramps and stairs, and, most
importantly, connecting citizens with City
programs that they can turn to for assistance.
DUTY
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HONOR
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COMPASSION
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EXCELLENCE