Tulsa is among the best at saving cardiac victims

Yahoo! News reports Tulsa is among the USA's best at saving cardiac victims

I am not sure where to find the 2003 study, but in 2001 this shows both Tulsa and Oklahoma City were in the first tier.

This indicated Tulsa had a 26% survival rate; average call-to-shock: 8 minutes, 48 seconds. Oklahoma City had a 27% rate; average call-to-shock: 7 minutes, 36 seconds, and Seattle had a 45% survival rate, highest among the nation's 50 biggest cities. On average, Seattle's emergency crews took 8 minutes 46 seconds to shock victims of sudden cardiac arrest. That time includes 90 seconds of CPR, in accordance with city protocol.

In late 2003 USA Today said Other cities — including Milwaukee, Tulsa, San Francisco, Houston and Kansas City — save more than twice the national average by following the same steps and closely measuring performance.

And another article indicated Tom Wagner, chief operating officer of Oklahoma City and Tulsa's Emergency Medical Services Authority, which provides care for 1.1 million residents in Oklahoma. "We looked at the top two and said, 'What do they do?' " (Ok City was 3rd in that study) and Today, Oklahoma is pouring money and manpower into two key areas that the top cities — Seattle and Boston — view as priorities.

Yesterday USA Today reported Tulsa stands on the opposite side of this great theoretical divide from Oklahoma City, which is increasing its paramedics corps.

The two cities, 100 miles apart, save about the same percentage of cardiac arrest victims — 26% in Tulsa and 27% in Oklahoma City. But their fire departments have different views on how many paramedics they need.

In Tulsa, each resident spends $3.29 per year in taxes for 128 paramedics. In Oklahoma City, residents each pay $11.40 for 226 paramedics.

In Tulsa, five of 30 fire engines have paramedics. In Oklahoma City, almost half of its fire engines have paramedics — 17 of 35.