Congratulations are in order to the Lawrence County EMS for being awarded the American Heart Association’s Mission Lifeline Gold Plus Award for the third year in a row.

The award is for the care the paramedics and EMTs provide as they are getting a patient having a heart attack or stroke to a hospital quickly and notifying the hospital what the situation is.

Time is always of the essence during a heart attack or stroke. And in a county of our size, professional care en route to the hospital is a must, considering that some houses are 20 minutes away from the nearest hospital. Just a few minutes delay in care can mean the difference between life and death.

Lawrence County EMS had to achieve a 75 percent or higher compliance score in several specific EMS quality measures for 48 months.

“I just want to say, this is a team effort,” said Lori Morris, Lawrence County EMS executive director of finance. “It is all of Lawrence County EMS that won this award. It is a great thing.”

We commend the EMS for their actions, which on a daily basis, helps to save the lives of Lawrence Countians.