Couple Donates Life-Saving LUCAS Device
UPDATE- Marshfield Fire & Rescue now has a third LUCAS Device, thanks to the generous donation of a local couple. The new device was unveiled at the Marshfield Fire & Police Commission meeting last week, and will be put into service within the next month.
December 19 – In 2014, the Marshfield Fire and Rescue Department purchased and placed into service a new piece of proven life-saving equipment: the LUCAS 2 device. In 2015, a generous couple from the City of Marshfield donated the department’s second device. Since then, LUCAS devices have been used on nearly all of the department’s cardiac arrest responses, which average upwards of 50 calls per year.
“We are proud to have added this tool to our first responding ambulance for the citizens we serve in and around Marshfield,” said Fire & Rescue Chief Scott Owen. “Our goal is to get one of these devices on each of our ambulances so no matter which ambulance goes out the door this equipment is available. Right now only the first two ambulances have them.”
An easy to-use, lightweight device that provides quality chest compressions in accordance with American Heart Association Guidelines for CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and assists rescuers in maintaining vital blood circulation in cardiac arrest patients, the LUCAS 2 Chest Compression System is simple to use, slips around a patient, can be applied to a cardiac arrest patient in under 20 seconds, and provides consistent quality chest compressions. The LUCAS is feasible for use in a majority of cardiac arrest patients in most settings and situations.
“Having a LUCAS device in place helps to provide near perfect CPR with regards to compression depth and rate,” said Steve Bakos, Deputy Chief of EMS. “Providing good quality CPR is tiresome work and rescuers are taught to trade out every two minutes to maintain good compressions. Having the LUCAS in place frees up two of our personnel to provide other critical life saving procedures.”
