CRANBERRY TWP — The township’s emergency medical services organization was honored Thursday for providing a high level of care for patients in cardiac arrest.

During a meeting of the township supervisors, Cranberry EMS was awarded with a Silver Plus EMS award by the American Heart Association for its continued involvement in the association’s Mission Lifeline-EMS program.

Agencies participating in the program must follow a series of treatment guidelines to improve patient care and outcomes for those experiencing severe heart attacks, or ST elevation myocardial infarction, according to Kelly Macheska, vice president of quality improvement for the American Heart Association’s Pittsburgh metro office.

STEMI is the deadliest type of heart attack and is caused when blood flow to the heart is blocked.

She said the Silver Plus award signifies the EMS has implemented strategies that enable them to quickly identify suspected heart attack patients, promptly notify a nearby medical center and trigger early response from waiting hospital personnel.

“Our goal is to have the same treatment for every patient, every time,” she said.

Cranberry EMS’ success in treating those in cardiac arrest is 50 percent, according to a report by the national Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival. The national average is 36.5 percent.

The Silver Plus award is given to 497 organizations nationally, and just 57 in Pennsylvania.

“Today, we’re celebrating those lives saved, and we couldn’t do that without Deputy Chief Ted (Fessides) and his team, and all the support from the community as well,” she said. “With your dedication and your support to the patients, these are truly life saving measures.”

Fessides was joined by several members of the EMS to receive the award Thursday.

Dick Hadley, supervisor chairman, thanked the group for their work.

“You provide such a tremendous service, such a professional service to the residents this community, and we can’t thank you enough for the effort that you all put in every day assisting people,” he said.