CLINTON —
A new defibrillator is helping the Clinton Fire Department provide better and faster care to patients seeking emergency services, especially those suffering from acardiac problems.
The Life Pak 15, a Physio product, allows the department to monitor a patient’s heart rhythm, blood pressure, CO2 and other conditions as they are transported to the emergency room during an emergency call.
The new equipment allows for the information on the patient to be transmitted to the hospital and also has Bluetooth capabilities.
“I can transmit the data to my computer and we can see everything that incident did in real time,” Clinton Fire Department Division Chief Andrew McGovern said.
The equipment replaces a 10-year-old defibrillator that did not have nearly the same monitoring capabilites.
“It’s like going from a Chevy to a Cadillac,” firefighter Ed Wing said during a training session on Thursday at Central Fire.
The Life Pak was purchased using a $217,640 assistance to firefighters grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency the department was awarded in 2011. The city of Clinton also provided a 10 percent match for the equipment.
With the grant money, the fire department was able to purchase the defibrillator, lithium ion batteries, software and other items.
Firefighters got their first glimpse of the new technology two months ago.
They trained on it Thursday and will do so approximately every month as part of the training program laid out by the department’s medical director.
“We do this pretty much every day for real,” Firefighter Kurt VanDellen said.
A group of firefighters practices using the equipment by giving different scenarios they would experience with an actual patient and reacting appropriately.
In addition to shocking a patient’s heart into a normal rhythm, the defibrillator can also help in a case where a patient is having trouble breathing, or has been subjected to smoke during a fire.
“We’re more confident in our abilities. This machine is much more accurate,” VanDellen said.
The Clinton Fire Department is the only emergency response team within a 20 mile radius that provides basic life support to patients 24 hours a day. The new defibrillator will allow the department to provide the highest level of advanced life support to not only Clinton residents, but patients in the region.
“It’s very important. Especially in cardiac care, it dramatically dropped door to drug time or door to cath lab time,” McGovern said. “The patient is able to get better and quicker care at the hospital because we can identify what is going on.”
Clinton
Related Photos
-
Clinton firefighter Ed Wing (left) practices giving a patient chest compressions as firefighter Gregg Lind (right) works with the new state-of-the-art defibrillator on Thursday at Central Fire Station. Katie Dahlstrom/Clinton Herald
Discussion
January 11, 2013
New equipment to assist with patients’ cardiac emergencies
- Clinton
-
-
Clinton law enforcement honored
CLINTON — Members of the Clinton Police Department and Clinton County Sheriff's Office commemorated National Police Week with an awards ceremony and a memorial ceremony to honor those who protect the community.
-
2 finalists named for city administrator
CLINTON — Two finalists have been selected in the search for Clinton's next city administrator: Clinton Finance Director and interim City Administrator Jessica Kinser and Joliet, Ill., Assistant City Manager Benjamin Benson.
-
Students honored at ceremony
CLINTON -- Seventy-four students from Clinton High School's class of 2013 were honored Thursday during the 27th annual senior honors convocation. The class of 2013 has taken more Advanced Placement tests and has earned some of the highest scores on
-
Jail escapee pleads guilty
CLINTON -- A man who escaped from the Clinton County jail on April 6 will spend as much as 10 years in prison. Kendrell Keith, 18, pleaded guilty Thursday to the escape and the second-degree theft charge that put him in jail.
-
Council targets late bills
CLINTON - Business owners won't be able to dodge sewer bills while staying in operation under an ordinance amendment that was approved by City Council members Tuesday.
-
Group eyes bandshell improvement
CLINTON -- A group of Clinton volunteers wants to transform the Riverview bandshell from an unkempt structure to an attractive venue for community events. Members of Vision 8, a Clinton-based nonprofit organization working together to improve the ima
- Council explores new solid-waste system CLINTON -- City officials are considering paying the Minnesota firm that evaluated the solid waste system $17,000 to help in the search for a solid-waste service provider. The $17,000 would be paid to Springsted in order for the firm to assemble a r
- Sewer rates to rise CLINTON -- Sewer rates for Clinton residents will be on the rise again after City Council members gave first approval of a 9.5 percent increase Tuesday. The increase will bring the sewer rate from $8.18 to $8.96 per unit for residential customers.
-
Cool Streak Snapped
CLINTON -- It didn't take long for the Gateway-area to bust out of a recent cool streak that extended through the weekend. In fact, the swing temperature was record-breaking. Tuesday's high of 93 degrees broke a record high from 1932. The temperature
- State awards railport road with grant CLINTON -- Development for Clinton's Lincolnway Railport received more financial support Tuesday as state officials approved a grant that will pay for 80 percent of a road into the industrial park. The Iowa Transportation Commission on Tuesday appro
- More Clinton Headlines
-
