Bar Harbor Fire Department Reports Cardiac Arrest Success Rate More Than Double National Benchmark

Carrie Jones

Jun 09, 2026

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.

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BAR HARBOR—When someone’s heart suddenly stops, every second matters.

A new analysis shows that people suffering cardiac arrest in Bar Harbor are reaching the hospital with a restored heartbeat at more than twice the national average rate—and officials say the reason starts long before an ambulance arrives.

Rapid action by bystanders, police officers, and emergency medical personnel is helping cardiac arrest patients in Bar Harbor reach the hospital at rates significantly higher than the national average, according to a recent analysis by the Bar Harbor Fire Department.

That data collected doesn’t include response to obvious deaths or for people who have do not resuscitate orders.

The data reflects patient status at hospital arrival. Data on patient status after hospital discharge is currently unavailable according to Bar Harbor Assistant Fire Chief John Lennon.

The Bar Harbor Fire Department conducted an analysis of cardiac arrests that it responded to from 2020 to 2025.

“When compared to data from the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES)—a national database that collects data on out of hospital cardiac arrests, they cite a 25.7 average rate of sustained return of spontaneous circulation at hospital arrival,” Lennon explained.

That means patients whose hearts had stopped had a sustained heart rhythm again.

Bar Harbor Fire Department’s rate is 52.6%, which is well above the national average.

“This is a direct result (of) quick recognition and action; initial bystander intervention with CPR and AED use if available, law enforcement intervention with CPR and AED use, followed by BHFD advanced life support, on the foundation of BHFD’s continued EMS training and commitment to providing high quality and effective EMS care,” Lennon said.

Behind every emergency siren is a chain of people working together—neighbors, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers. In Bar Harbor, that chain appears to be helping cardiac arrest patients beat some of the odds by the time they get to the hospital.

Lennon stressed that it’s helpful for the public to know the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest.

According to the American Heart Association, “A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating. A heart attack is a circulation problem. Sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical problem.”

Last May, the state honored Lennon and Sean Hall (firefighter and paramedic) with EMS Excellence Awards for their contributions to both the regional and state EMS systems.

The fire department has both full-time and on-call members. The main station is in downtown Bar Harbor and there is a Town Hill substation. The department covers the 45 square miles of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, which includes over 10,000 acres in Acadia National Park along with 66 miles of road and 33 miles of coastline.

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IMAGES AND LINKS TO LEARN MORE

The department’s Facebook page.

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Disclosure: I was once an on-call firefighter for the Bar Harbor Fire Department.

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