Fayette County Fire and Emergency Services on Aug. 24 received a donation from the Fayette Fire Foundation that will help save lives.
The donation of a Lucas CPR automatic compression device was presented at the meeting of the Fayette County Commission.
Above, Fayette County Advanced EMT Justin Lynch, left, and Lt. Daniel Lewis demonstrate the Lucas CPR device as Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bartlett explains its operation at the Aug. 24 meeting of the Fayette County Commission. Photo/Ben Nelms.
Speaking for the foundation, Vicki Turner said funding for the unit came by way of Coweta-Fayette EMC. Commissioners were told that EMC’s bill round-up program supplied the funds for the purchase. The fair market value of the Lucas device is more than $15,000.
Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bartlett and county EMS staff demonstrated the equipment, with Bartlett noting that the Lucas device negates the need for the manual administration of CPR, thus freeing EMTs to perform other needed functions.
“This is a great step, and a valuable tool for us to use,” Bartlett said.
Without a Lucas type device two rescuers must perform CPR during transport to the closest hospital. This requires that the rescuers stand over the patient to perform CPR. To perform in this manual in a moving vehicle is very dangerous for the rescuers and others in the rear of the medic unit, Bartlett explained.
The Lucas device will be deployed on a medic unit serving Fayette County, particularly the Fayetteville area. That medic unit averages 100-150 calls per month. Of these calls in 2016, 238 were cardiac in nature with 18 for cardiac arrest. The cardiac arrest is the highest priority of all medical calls the department responds, county staff said.
For more information on the Fayette Fire Foundation visit www.fayettefirefoundation.org.
