(MIAMI, July 23, 2013) – Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's (MDFR) Advanced Life Support (ALS) Team came in first place at the 2013 Bill Shearer International ALS Competition. The competition was held in Orlando on July 19, 2013.

This competition is considered to be the “Super Bowl” of the EMS competition season. MDFR's ALS Team consists of Firefighter Michael Ung, Firefighter Alex Lozano, and Firefighter Jorge Anzardo.

This year’s competition presented a challenging emergency involving a scenario with multiple pediatric trauma patients. MDFR went on to perform the highest standards and came out victorious among the more than 36 teams competing.

ALS competitions require a high level of knowledge and clinical accuracy for teams to score high marks. The teams must also be extraordinarily fast at completing their skills in order to meet the demanding benchmarks. Many of the specialized skills they develop and learn in competition are brought back to Miami Dade County, and used in everyday operations in order to improve the service provided to our community.

MDFR’s ALS Team has competed on an international level for more than 20 years. Several competitions are held every year testing the skill and knowledge of teams from all over the country and the world.

For more information, please contact MDFR’s Media and Public Relations Bureau at 786-331-5200.