Volunteer firefighters trained on life saving device

By Kevin Link, Times Contributor

Paramedics from Wheatland EMS spent an evening on Nov. 19 training rural volunteer firefighters from Rockyford and Standard in the use of a new life saving device.
For over 30 years within the borders of Wheatland County, paramedics have relied on these trained medical first responders to bridge the gap of long response times to rural villages, farms, acreages and highways; arriving at a patient’s side and starting treatment often long before an ambulance can get there from neighbouring Strathmore.
Over three decades ago this service was primarily provided by caring nurses or other residents trained in first aid that lived in various rural areas of the county but has since graduated to an organized volunteer fire department response. With firefighters trained to care for the sick and injured and able to quickly respond to emergencies, this has proven itself to be a valuable link in the chain of survival for these rural and farming communities.
Cardiac arrest survival rates, although bleak at best, are even worse in rural areas due to the delay in required medical interventions. Medical evidence stresses the importance of early effective CPR along with defibrillation for survival of these patients.
Being aware of this evidence, Wheatland EMS recently purchased eight LUCAS 3 Chest Compression Systems and donated them to eight fire departments within the boundaries of Wheatland County that participate in medical first response with hopes to increase survival rates in these rural cardiac arrest patients. These devices are currently being handed out along with the appropriate training.
Rockyford and Standard are the first departments in this group to receive training and put this equipment into service, and the first volunteer medical first responders in Alberta to utilize this equipment.