HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - An emergency medical provider that serves more than 350,000 residents is receiving some major recognition. Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, or HEMSI, received the 2016 Silver EMS Lifeline Award.
The award represents implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks. HEMSI and the paramedics in the truck cover over 1,000 square miles of the Huntsville and Madison County area.
They work closely with partners Huntsville Hospital and Crestwood Medical Center. Although, it wouldn't be without some of the technology that plays a huge role in saving lives from cardiac arrest or heart attack.
Paramedic Kenneth Burke says good quality CPR includes chest compression at a rate of 100-120 per minute, at least two inches deep. You can imagine how difficult that might be in the back of a HEMSI truck.
"After two minutes, the quality of CPR, they're fatigued and their quality of CPR just isn't there anymore," said Burke.
But there's something that can help with that problem - it's called Lucas.
"This comes in from the top and it clips on the side. It takes just a matter of about 15 seconds to put it in place and then once you get it in place, it's just a matter of turning it on," explained Burke.
HEMSI has two of these mechanical CPR machines and Burke says this keeps them on the cutting edge of new technology that could save a life.