During the month of October, the fire department has been training with a new chest compression device called LUCAS 3. The device administers 102 chest compressions per minute during Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. According to Physio Control, the product developer, “the system is designed to help improve outcomes of sudden cardiac arrest victims and improve operations for medical responders.”
“It (LUCAS 3) maintains consistent pressure at a consistent depth,” said Steve Heath, Carrollton Fire Department Emergency Medical Services chief. “It eliminates issues like carrying patients down flights of stairs or over long distances.”
The department received the devices as a donation from the Metrocrest Hospital authority. Heath said the medical organization had been looking to fund the fire department with some different things. The fire department evaluated three different devices before settling on the LUCAS device.