The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District now has equipment on every engine that will perform chest compressions for people suffering from cardiac arrest. Reno Public Radio's Michelle Billman has the details.
Providing chest compressions is tough work. When done manually, it requires multiple paramedics to switch off every two minutes.
"The first thirty seconds is actually not too bad; however, you start getting towards the end of those two minutes it is very exhausting," says Nick Remington, a firefighter and paramedic for the district. "No matter how strong you think you are, it continuously wears on you."
Remington says that since they're only running 3-person engine crews, this new tool allows team members to do more tasks in less time.
"It actually frees up a set of hands to do medication administration as well as airway, IVs, and such."
The district has purchased 11 of these units. They're called Lucas Chest Compression devices and they cost about $15,000 each.