For years, fewer than one in 10 people in Escambia County survived a cardiac arrest. By this year, that number was closer to four in 10. The shift happened quickly, in less than a year. Officials said the improvement reflected sweeping changes in training, accountability and response protocols. They said those changes had turned resuscitation from a rare success into a more frequent outcome.
At the center of the turnaround was Dr. Ben Abo, the county’s medical director for public safety, who began his role last April.
“We went from 9.2%, which is half of the national average, to double the national average. So we’ve quadrupled," said Abo.
Escambia County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger confirmed the figures.
“Before he came on, our resuscitation rate was just below 10%,” she said. “Since he’s been medical director, our average is at 40%.”
The increase reflected a rise in successful resuscitations, defined as patients who regained a pulse and were transported to the hospital with their heart beating on its own.
According to national CPR registry data, fewer than 10% of people treated by emergency services survived to hospital discharge after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Florida’s overall resuscitation rates remained in the single digits statewide. But at 43.4%, Escambia’s figures told a different story.
Dr. Abo explained the improvement.
“It’s mostly about people and process, not gadgets, and the foundation of this is training,” he said. “It’s how we recognize cardiac arrest, how aggressive we are with high-quality CPR, and how teams function together under pressure. I review every single case and give immediate follow-up and feedback.”
He said the revamped training has been focused on the moments before an ambulance arrives.
“The first few minutes are often the difference between life and death,” Abo said. “If a dispatcher helps a caller recognize cardiac arrest and start compressions immediately, you’ve already changed the outcome before the ambulance even gets a chance to roll.”
Abo expanded training beyond paramedics to include firefighters, law enforcement officers, dispatchers, and the public.
Hofberger said the improvements had reshaped how the county approached emergency medicine.
“We’ve seen a huge change in pre-hospital care,” she said. “Our survival rates are going up.”
The gains drew statewide attention. Florida’s Department of Emergency Medical Services contacted Abo after reviewing the data.
“They had to recheck the numbers by hand three times to see that we’d gone from 9.2% to 43.4%," Abo explained. "They told me, ‘Whatever you’re doing, keep it up.’”
For Abo, the proof of success did not come in spreadsheets; it came in people.
“Every improvement meant someone goes home who otherwise wouldn’t,” he said. “When a patient walked back in weeks later and shook my hand or shook hands with the people who saved them, that reminded everyone why this work matters.”
Abo said the county averages between four and six cardiac events every day. Learning to recognize cardiac distress and starting CPR immediately can significantly increase the chances of survival.
For comparison with neighboring counties, Santa Rosa County EMS and Okaloosa County EMS were contacted, with no response at the time of publication.
