ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — Emergency responders in Roane County may soon have a new tool they can use during emergency situations to help save lives.
The Roane County Office of Emergency Services said it received a $38,000 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and the money would be used to buy LUCAS Devices. The devices help provide constant chest compressions, which can help keep a person alive similar to a person providing CPR compressions.
"In the back of an ambulance, if a patient is in cardiac arrest, we have one paramedic and maybe a firefighter or EMT to help. This device is placed on the patient, and takes care of doing chest compressions. It frees up the paramedic's hands to give them medication, manage the airway, and do everything else that's involved in patient care," said Tim Suter, the director the emergency services office.
Leaders in Roane County said they are working to get the devices into ambulances across the county. They are also working to make sure EMTs are confident using the devices, and said they will need to pass a skills test with the devices.
