The fire and EMS crews who respond to emergencies in unincorporated areas surrounding Flower Mound and Highland Village have earned a national cardiac care distinction for the 10th year running.
Denton County Emergency Services Districts No. 1 and 2 received the 2026 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Recognition Award from the American Heart Association, according to a July 23 report by Micah Pearce in the Cross Timbers Gazette.
The Gold award is the program's highest EMS tier. To earn it, an agency must hit at least 75% compliance on every required quality measure and must have received a Silver or Gold award the previous year, according to AHA recognition criteria. A decade-long streak means the ESD has sustained that performance since 2017.
What the measures track
The AHA's required benchmarks focus on the minutes that matter most during a heart attack or stroke. Crews must perform a 12-lead ECG within 10 minutes of contact with a suspected heart attack patient, administer aspirin when the ECG confirms a STEMI, and notify the receiving hospital within 10 minutes of that confirmation. For stroke patients, paramedics must complete and document a stroke screen, evaluate blood glucose, record the patient's last known well time, and send pre-arrival notification to the hospital.
Speed saves lives.
The Mission: Lifeline program, launched in 2007, recognizes EMS agencies that meet guideline-directed standards for conditions where minutes determine whether a patient lives or recovers fully. The program now includes agencies across the country.
Why it matters locally
Roughly nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital do not survive, often because CPR or advanced care does not begin quickly enough, according to the AHA. Acting immediately can double or triple survival odds.
Denton County ESD No. 1 and 2 cover the unincorporated pockets of southern Denton County that sit between Flower Mound, Highland Village, and neighboring municipalities. The districts also train alongside municipal departments: Flower Mound Fire Department hosted ESD crews at Station 6 in May 2023 for a joint exercise on pumping into an aerial apparatus, according to an FMFD post on X.
The Flower Mound Times was unable to reach Denton County ESD for comment on the award.
Residents who witness a cardiac emergency can call 911 and begin hands-only CPR while waiting for ESD or municipal crews to arrive.
