Council discusses JFD equipment, ambulances
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With a resolution on the council agenda for the most recent work session looking to approve a few equipment purchases for the Jamestown Fire Department, Acting Fire Chief Ryan Roush discussed with the council what exactly the equipment was for and why it was needed.
The resolution looks to approve the purchase of one LIFEPAK 15 and one LUCAS Chest Compression System and associated equipment, through an agreement with Stryker Medical. Roush told the council during Monday's work session that this equipment is to get both ambulances up to where they need to be.
"It just gets both of our ambulances in line," Roush said. "We purchased last fall, one set of these and this is just getting the other ambulance all situated with the same equipment."
Councilman Russ Bonfiglio, R-At Large, asked how the new ambulance was doing financially, and Roush said he could provide numbers at a later time but did not have any with him at the meeting. Bonfiglio also asked how billing worked, and Mayor Kim Ecklund said the billing is part of the contract the city has with Alstar, noting that it has been working well.
Councilman Jeremy Engquist, D-At Large, asked for an explanation on the LIFEPAK 15 and LUCAS Chest Compression System.
"So the LIFEPAK 15 is a cardiac monitor and defibrillator," Roush said. "It's a lot bigger and more complex than a standard AED where you just open the lid. This one's got the screen on it, you can do actual cardiac rhythms. ... We'll be able to transmit EKGs to the hospital and the doctor will be able to look at them and say this person needs to go to Erie or higher level care."
The LIFEPAK 15 also allows for the Fire Department to do some advanced airway stuff that they are not allowed to do without that device, Roush said. The LUCAS Chest Compression System is an automatic chest compression machine, he said, to be used instead of using one's hands and pushing on someone's chest.
"You strap it right around them and it does the work," Roush said. "And it's continuous; there's no breaks to swap out people or anything like that. So, it just goes and goes and goes until you hit the off button."
Increased survival rates have also been shown with the LUCAS, Roush added. Council President, Regina Brackman, D-Ward 3, asked what training has been like and if everyone is trained on this equipment, which Roush said that is something the department is working on.
One other related resolution that was discussed during the council work session looks at entering into an agreement with Lexipol LLC for the purchase of EMS and Fire Training modules. Council members questioned if the training was done by UPMC and Alstar, and Roush said all EMS training and refreshments are done in-house, and have been through his whole career, through UPMC and Alstar help in certain aspects, and in accordance with the state.