—The Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department responded to fewer emergencies in 2025, but their life-saving metrics—particularly an astonishing 67 percent cardiac survivability rate—continue to far outpace national averages.
Those details and more were unveiled in the department’s 2025 Annual Review, which Fire Chief Paul Dezzi formally presented to the Town Commission at its March 23 Regular Workshop.
The comprehensive report paints a picture of a highly specialized, Advanced Life Support (ALS) department that successfully navigated the turbulent aftermath of the 2024 hurricane season.
—The “Hurricane Effect” on Call Volume
—One of the most notable statistical shifts in 2025 was a sharp decline in overall emergency responses. The department recorded 1,819 total incidents last year, representing an 18 percent decrease compared to 2024.
According to the Town Manager’s memorandum, this reduction is not a permanent trend, but rather a direct result of the 2024 hurricanes. The impacts and extended recovery conditions associated with the devastating storm season significantly altered seasonal population trends and overall activity levels on the island throughout 2025.
Despite the quieter year, the breakdown of the department’s 1,819 responses highlights the diverse challenges of protecting a barrier island:
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS): 999 incidents (55 percent of total call volume)
• Fire and Other Emergencies: 820 incidents
• Marine Responses: 88 incidents
—</span• Emergency Medical Services (EMS): 999 incidents (55 percent of total call volume)
—</span• Fire and Other Emergencies: 820 incidents
—</span• Marine Responses: 88 incideStellar Medical Outcomes
—Because every responder in the department is cross-trained as a firefighter/paramedic, Longboat Key operates with a distinct medical advantage. EMS continues to be the department’s primary operational focus, and their 2025 performance metrics reflect exceptional clinical efficiency.
The department maintained response times of under six minutes and hospital turn-around times of under 45 minutes. Of the 999 EMS calls, crews transported 595 patients to local hospitals. The vast majority of these patients—547 individuals, or 93 percent—were transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH), while 35 were taken to Blake Medical Center.
However, the department’s crowning achievement lies in its cardiac arrest outcomes. In 2025, Longboat Key Fire Rescue recorded a 67 percent cardiac survivability rate. To put that into perspective, the department’s report notes that the national average for cardiac survivability is less than 10 percent.
The department also maintained high readiness for other critical medical events, conducting quality assurance reviews on severe cases, with stroke alerts making up 43 percent of such tracked incidents, alongside trauma, sepsis, and STEMI (heart attack) alerts.
—Strategic Success and Public Trust
—The 2025 Annual Review also highlighted significant administrative victories. During the reporting period, Longboat Key Fire Rescue successfully completed its five-year strategic plan a full year ahead of schedule.
The department is already preparing its next strategic cycle (spanning 2024-2027), which focuses on elevating service delivery, enhancing marine operations training, developing a replacement plan for aging assets, and exploring a comprehensive wellness and health program for its first responders.
This operational excellence has not gone unnoticed by the community. According to the 2026 Annual Citizens’ Survey, which is also part of the March 23 agenda packet, 81 percent of Longboat Key residents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the town’s fire and ambulance services. Among residents who actually had to use the fire and EMS services over the past year, satisfaction was nearly universal, with 83.3 percent reporting they were “very satisfied” and an additional 13.2 percent reporting they were “satisfied”.
“Behind every number is a resident, a business, or a family in crisis,” the department’s presentation reads. “This year in review is really the story of how we served and continue to serve them.”
