Archive for August 11th, 2017

Elgin Fire Department news

Excerpts from the Chicagotribune.com:

The Elgin Fire Department intends to use a $72,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to purchase state-of-the-art equipment to be used when performing CPR.

The city council Wednesday night is set to move along for final approval the purchase from Michigan-based Stryker for $79,400, with $7,200 of the money coming from the fire department’s capital budget. Stryker is the owner of Washington-based Physio-Control, which makes the system.

We will be getting five of the systems, one for every frontline ambulance,” Fire Chief Dave Schmidt said Tuesday.

“It’s great tool to have in the community,” said Dr. Mohammad Zaman, Medical Director, CEP America, Presence St. Joseph Hospital Elgin.

The systems are designed to provide consistent, high-quality mechanical chest compressions that meet the American Heart Association standards for rate, depth and speed. Part of the apparatus goes under a person’s back, while the other part wraps over a person’s chest and holds a device which applies the compressions, which can be adjusted to the size of the person.

The Lucas Chest Compression System the department plans to buy allows firefighters to keep CPR going while a patient is on a stretcher and while the patient is being moved, even up or down stairs.

The machines also take away lapses in applying CPR thus lessening health-related issues for patients and keep the compressions consistent, taking away the fatigue factor when a paramedic is applying the compressions. Current protocol calls for CPR to be applied for 30 minutes before terminating resuscitation efforts.

Schmidt said the systems also mean more safety for paramedics while in ambulances, who now can wear a seat belt while chest compressions are being applied by the battery-operated machine.

The systems are Bluetooth enabled so that they can transmit the data they collect to the department’s computer system and to the hospital to which a patient is being taken.

 

Statistics show that each year in the United States, more than 300,000 individuals suffer non-traumatic, out-of-hospital, sudden cardiac arrest, which has been the leading cause of death in adults over 40. The Elgin Fire Department responds to about 56 cardiac arrest incidents annually.

During a four-month trial of the two mechanical CPR systems, the Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC) percentage rate in cardiac arrest victims rose from 36 percent to almost 58 percent, Schmidt said. Upon completion of the trial, the rate returned to 36, or about 10 percent higher than the national ROSC average.

Tags: , , ,

Of interest … Illinois American Water

Excerpts from illinoishomepage.net:

Illinois American Water is once again offering grants to state fire and emergency organizations. Since 2010, it’s awarded in excess of 350 grants to fire departments totaling more than $342,000.

Departments/districts are eligible for one $1,000 grant per calendar year. Only uniformed, professional and volunteer departments serving IAW’s service territories are eligible.

The grants can be used to cover the costs of personal protective gear, communications equipment, tools, water handling equipment, training and related materials or reimbursement for specific training classes, manuals and workbooks.

Departments have until September 8 to apply. Applications should include a description of the group seeking support, an overview of the project to be funded and grant amount requested, community problems/challenges the project will address, time-frame for project, a summer of other sources being approached for support as well as a project budget.

Applications can be emailed to Karen Cotton, manager of external affairs.  

Tags: ,

2-11 Alarm fire in Chicago, 8-10-17

This from Josh Boyajian:

CFD Canteen 4-0-0 reported to the EFAO yesterday morning around 4AM of (2), 2-sty frames going at 840 w 53rd Place. Canteen 4-0-2 was a block away at a SWAT call with CPD. Engine 49 arrived and went defensive on a 1.5-sty frame totally involved extending to a 2.5-sty frame to the west. Engine 50, in their new rig, was 2nd up and had numerous lines off. Companies had water problems and the box engines ended up dropping and feeding the attack engines from blocks away. Tower 39 really worked hard, taking the boards off most of the 2nd floor windows, making holes in the roof, and on the front of the building. Squad 5 was in the alley being fed by Engine 116. Towers 39 and 37 were both in spare tower ladders. I arrived after the 2-11, it was very over grown around both of the buildings. 
 
Josh
Chciago FD Squad 5A

Josh Boyajian photo

firefighter in tower ladder bucket against heavy fire

Josh Boyajian photo

firefighter in tower ladder bucket against heavy fire

Josh Boyajian photo

firefighter in tower ladder bucket against heavy fire

Josh Boyajian photo

firefighter in tower ladder bucket against heavy fire

Josh Boyajian photo

heavy flames and smoke through roof of a house at night

Josh Boyajian photo

heavy flames and smoke through roof of a house at night

Josh Boyajian photo

Chicago FD Engine 50

Josh Boyajian photo

Chciago FD Squad 5A

Josh Boyajian photo

Chicago firefighter pump operator

Josh Boyajian photo

Chicago FD Engine 116

Josh Boyajian photo

Chicago FD Engine 123

Josh Boyajian photo

Tags: , , , , , ,

New squad for Rolling Meadows

This from Hunter Klinger:

Found on fire apparatus magazine new deliveries Rolling Meadows new squad

Rolling Meadows FD Squad 15

New unit for Rolling Meadows Squad 15. from Fire Apparatus Magazine

Tags: , , ,