FDNY EMS Operations Sponsors Stroke Health Seminar

May is National Stroke Awareness month and to help educate FDNY personnel about the dangers of this condition, members of the FDNY’s EMS Operations sponsored a lunchtime wellness fair on May 15 at Headquarters.

EMS members also were on hand to test 125 attendees’ blood pressure and discuss good health practices.

“Be stroke smart - know the risks and know what to do,” EMS Assistant Chief John McFarland said.

Stroke is defined as sudden brain damage due to a lack of blood flow to the brain, which is why it is often referred to as a ‘brain attack.’ It is the third leading cause of death in America and one of the leading causes of serious, long-term disability. Each year 750,000 Americans suffer a stroke, and yet 80 percent of them are preventable.

So Chief McFarland told the lunchtime crowd about stroke prevention, symptom recognition and recovery from the condition.

He noted that every minute counts, so call 911 as soon as you start feeling the symptoms or go to a hospital that has a stroke center.

This is the first of an ongoing series of heath and wellness seminars hosted by EMS Operations. In June they will host a session on CPR.

For more information about strokes, visit the National Stroke Association.