February 25, 2008­­–ANCHORAGE–How does the Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) compare to other cities in the delivery of emergency medical services? If you had a cardiac arrest and collapsed in Anchorage what chance would you have to survive?

A 2003 USA Today article found disparities in emergency medical care across the nation and said cities that carefully track their EMS performance save many more lives. Several cities including Houston, Anchorage, Austin, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Raleigh and Tucson have signed up for the Emory University/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) study known as Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, or CARES.