b'ETIOLOGYIn alignment with the latest ILCOR guidelines, CARES requires that all EMS-treated, non-traumatic cardiac arrests be entered into the registry. The etiology of arrest is identified by field providers and documented in the patient care record. Following the Utstein guidelines, an arrest is presumed to be of cardiac etiology unless it is clearly documented otherwise.In 2024, 83.8% of adult (18 years of age) OHCAs were presumed to be of a cardiac cause. Other causes of adult OHCA included: respiratory/asphyxia (9.1%), drug overdose (5.3%), exsanguination/hemorrhage (0.7%), drowning/submersion (0.5%), and other medical (0.6%) (Figure 3).The etiology of arrest for pediatric patients (18 years of age) differed substantially from that of adults. In 2024, 43.9% of pediatric arrests were presumed to be of a cardiac etiology. Other causes of pediatric OHCA included: respiratory/asphyxia (39.2%), drowning/submersion (8.5%), drug overdose (4.3%), SIDS/SUID (2.5%), and other medical (1.5%) (Figure 4).Figure 3. Etiology of arrest for adults. Figure 4. Etiology of arrest for pediatric patients."BECAUSE OF THEM, WE STILL HAVE OUR PAPA."Just after 2:00 a.m. on February 15, 2024, members of Doyle Hose Company No. 1 and American Medical Response (AMR) of Western New York responded when Mr. Joseph Berizzie wasnt feeling well. They arrived just in time to witness him go into cardiac arrest.EMTs Tamara Smith and Micheal Ortiz from AMR, along with Doyle EMTs and firefighters, began CPR immediately. Paramedics Maya Osby and Daniel Null and EMT Joseph Cicatello joined the effort minutes later. Mr. Berizzie regained a pulse shortly after and was transported to Mercy Hospital of Buffalo. He was discharged a week later.Since joining CARES in 2017, AMR of Western New York created the Tomorrow Wall to honor crews whose OHCA patients survive with good or moderate neurological function. Three months after his cardiac arrest, Mr. Berizzie returned to sign the plaquemarking the tomorrows he and his family now share thanks to the team that saved his life. 33'