Red Deer Emergency Services has donated a device to the Penhold Fire Department to help responders who perform CPR.
Last week, a LUCAS 2 CPR device was donated. This device is designed to provide consistent compressions at a fixed rate through difficult transport and environmental conditions.
“Typically on a cardiac call we need a minimum of five medical first responders to assist the EMS crew. There are many interventions that need to be created in the first few seconds of these calls,” said Sean Pendergast, Town of Penhold protective services manager and fire chief.
“An airway needs to be established, a drug pathway needs to be established, the heart monitor needs to be attached to the patient, the environment needs to be secure, and CPR has to be continuous from the moment we arrive.
“The best professionals in the world cannot provide CPR at the same consistency and effectiveness as this device, and the LUCAS doesn’t tire.”
Pendergast said the Town of Penhold is grateful to have supportive neighbours throughout the region.
“RDES has always supported our volunteer department and our firefighters truly appreciate the work they do,” he said.
Curtis Schaefer, RDES assistant deputy chief, said over the course of September and October, the City of Red Deer will donate Lucas CPR devices to regional fire departments in Blackfalds, Sylvan Lake and Red Deer County, in addition to Penhold.
“The City of Red Deer Emergency Services has carried the Lucas CPR Device on the ambulances for the past eight years and has seen the benefit to the citizens we serve,” said Schaefer.
“The Lucas CPR devices are life cycled as part of our equipment management program. With this year’s life cycle, the suggestion was brought forward by one of our EMS Supervisors, Donavon Brandon, to donate the CPR devices that are being replaced to our regional partner fire departments.”
The donation will support the fire departments to provide a higher level of care for patients in cardiac arrest, Schaefer noted.
“The Lucas CPR device is used to perform CPR on a patient who is in cardiac arrest where the device provides a consistent depth and rate of CPR and does not tire over time,” he said.
“This provides a higher quality of CPR which leads to better patient outcomes. We are able to share that the donations have already had a positive impact on our neighbouring communities.
“On the same day as the donation to the Blackfalds Fire Department, they responded to a cardiac arrest call in which they were able to use the Lucas CPR device and see pulses return in the patient.”