All local fire departments throughout Miami-Dade County along with representatives from area hospitals will be on hand to provide free blood pressure screenings. Also in attendance will be stroke survivors who were treated and transported by fire rescue. A portion of the proceeds from tickets sales will benefit the Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp. The mission of Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp is to improve the quality of life for stroke survivors, caregivers, and their families. This is accomplished through weekend retreats, as well as community stroke education and awareness events for the public.

Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It is the fourth leading cause of death and the primary cause of adult disability in the United States.  A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so it starts to die.

Someone in the U.S. dies every 3.3 minutes from a stroke.  Strokes affect more than 700,000 individuals annually in the United States (approximately one person every 45 seconds).  Approximately 500,000 of these are first attacks, and 200,000 are recurrent attacks. 

FOAMD provides a forum for all fire rescue departments within Miami-Dade County to exchange ideas, information and initiate/support projects to enhance our services.